It’s our brand new year, Reader, and we are all excited to greet 2017 and see a clean slate in front of us! Time to get our shit together.
My word for the year is “Doing.”
Yep, I’m one of those insufferable resolvers who decides on a word to motivate my behavior for the year. 2016’s word was “Discipline,” but I found that really hard to achieve because I lack discipline. A total Catch 22 and a dumb word because it was too loose for interpretation, and I could too easily find loopholes in my own goal word.
So this year, Doing. Action word vs. some vague concept. I know how to “do.” Thinking of going for a walk? Don’t think, do. You see how that works? Easy.
And the sun was shining in Cleveland on New Year’s Day, and my new resolve of “Doing” was super-fresh as it’s still the very first day of the new year and I’m not disgusted yet with resolution-making. I slipped on my sneakers to go for a walk around the block.
Two exciting things about that sentence.
#1, I can slip on sneakers. On both feet.
#2, in November I was only able to walk to the house next door. So attempting a walk around the block? Was a big leap in progress.
My little pal Gussy was super-excited to have company outside and wanted to join me on my stroll.
Except his idea of a walk starts with rubbing against your legs as you start to move.
And then he begins wending his way between your legs.
Two more steps forward, and he starts his “drop, flop and roll” routine, which is frankly adorable when it’s not being trip-ie.
After enough belly scratches, he decides it’s time to get on with the walk.
He picks himself up.
He chooses a side.
Changes his mind and switches over.
And we find our cadence.
And that’s why a walk around the block takes a half hour instead of fifteen minutes. But exercise is always better with a friend.
❤