Resolutions

NYE was cool. Spent the evening watching the amazing fireworks with
lovely friends (hi Jodie!) and feeling very relaxed. (It always amazes
me that over a million people sit around the Harbour foreshore
watching fireworks, when the population of the city is only four
million.)

Hey - what is with the trend this summer for teenage girls to wear
really, really short dresses with ridiculously high heels?! Seeing
thousands of them stumbling about drunkenly and talking at the top of
their voices actually made me feel good about where I am in my life (I
was never like that, was I?!).

New Year's Day was also relaxing.
I am going to make myself have a year where I work hard and relax well.

I was bouncing around in the pool yesterday with Hubby and Jo when one
of our friends came over. He asked me what my New Year's Resolution is
going to be. I told him that I can't change the crap in my life, but I
can certainly change my attitude towards it. I said that although it's
just a new day – and that my problems still exist – a new year is a
new beginning and I can take control of the way I deal with it all.

So with that in mind, here's me talking myself into having a new
attitude for the new year.
This year, I won't be so naïve and feel as if I've been bashed about
the head whenever I get bad news regarding myself or my family. This
year, I'll brace myself, already knowing that it's not going to be an
easy one. This year, I'll learn to be more independent and not rely on
others as emotional crutches. This year, I'll be forward-focused and
forget about what might have been or what should have happened.

And a girl's gotta have some resolutions:

1. I will not treat my body as a garbage dump by eating junk, but
stick with balanced, homecooked meals made with love and care and I
will eat slowly and thoughtfully, savouring the taste.

2. I will not give up on my new exercise routine as walking the
streets is a great way of getting in touch with the new neighbourhood
and swimming is important as it is silly to own a pool and not be a
good swimmer.

3. I will not allow things to overwhelm me and then whinge about that
awful feeling of dread and foreboding, but instead take control and
fight back.

4. I will re-learn to drive independently instead of behaving like a
sixteen-year-old learner who screams at trucks, freaks out while
changing lanes and can't who park while relying on husband or public
transport to get places. After all, I do have a gold driver's license.

5. I will quit thinking about all the ways in which things *could* go
even more wrong but focus on ways in which things are working.

6. I will be more sociable, even though I am a natural loner.

7. I will work harder at my job, get along with my colleagues and do a
stellar presentation at the conference in two weeks.

8. I will harass my PhD supervisor if I haven't got my results in the
next couple of weeks as I need to graduate in March!

9. I will put more effort into my hair, make-up and dress as it's a
known fact that you feel better about yourself when you look better.
Besides, I am no longer a full-time uni student and need to dress like
a proper adult corporate person.

Oh, and January is Sydney Festival. I have printed out and
hightlighted all the free events.
I am so determined to have a good time this year.