New Year's Resolutions - the third attempt

Happy New Year!

A new year = a fresh start, and so it's time to start making up all kinds of list of the person you would like to be, even if it would probably take a personality transplant in order to become that person.

Stuck for resolutions? Check out Monina Velarde's resolution generator! 

1. "Mindful" eating

I'm splitting my "be healthier" into more specific items. So, food. Gluten seems to be an issue for me (something new and has only been identified the past couple of months or so), so that will help reduce the amount of processed food I can comfortably eat. Despite no fruit and veg box (for now), I really have to carefully meal plan again, but also plan while being aware that I can't spend hours in the kitchen and selecting meals and recipes that fit my schedule.

2. Get moving

This means ditching the car for as many activities as possible, and using the bike for all shopping runs (even if it means more trips to the supermarket). Ideally the limited carrying capacity of a bicycle compared to a car will make me more careful as to how much I buy and also help with how much unnecessary junk food makes its way home.

3. Get down to 70 kg

I have 5km Colour Run coming up in February, and then the Nike She Runs the Night after that in early May. So the first half of the year will be about running. And losing weight - as losing weight makes for easier running, I think that will be better motivation for me than thinking about a number I'd like to reach. I'll spend more time on the bike after the She Runs the Night event. Setting these running goals will hopefully get me focussed on how I spend my "fitness" time, rather than overdoing it and becoming burnt out and then putting ON weight.

4. Publish research papers

This is no longer mildly amusing, but a bit more serious. I had a drunken talk with my supervisor a couple of weeks ago about it. It was a good chat to have - essentially I have to stop worrying about the quality of my data (and also of my work) as what I am doing is novel. So it does not need to be perfect, just out into the world of research and it will be perfected upon later if it is worthy of further work. It was also nice to hear that my supervisor doesn't expect me to be the same kind of student as his previous PhD student and another current PhD student. I'm always comparing myself to them and becoming anxious of how easily they settled into their PhDs - but their previous work was exactly what they're doing their PhDs on, and I've jumped into something new. I've always had it in the back of my mind, but it was nice to hear my supervisor say this too. Anyway, with all that mental baggage hopefully gone or at least put into a manageable spot in my head, I should not be overly worried about my work, and I should just get it out there.

5. Live a decluttered life

I need to declutter my bathroom, my wardrobe, my kitchen and my bookshelf and my life in general. Less items = potentially less stuff to end up on the floor = less mess = lower maintenance.

6. Make my bed

I am not giving up on the hope that I will do this more regularly (i.e. daily).

7. Wash the dishes. Now.

After a long day at uni, I come home and somehow have the energy to cook something to eat. But wash the dishes? No. And then I have to deal with it in the morning... and then I don't feel like doing the morning's dishes so I end up being one meal behind in my dishwashing and then, BANG, you need to use something that's in the sink. So I have to do the dishes once I'm done, and it's always nice to wake up to clean dishes on the drying rack.

You know what, I think I might stay away from petrol station slushies. :)