Claire Conger

I decided I could use some New Year’s Resolutions—might get me out of my winter funk.

To start, a review of last year’s would be smart. Turns out I didn’t make resolutions last year, but I did the year before. Let’s take a look and see how I did.

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS 2007

Harness the Power of Now
I must have just read Eckhard Tolle’s Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment. Sorry, I haven’t gotten into the NOW, but this resolution will be back for 08.
Visit the Berkeley TM Center and meditate 15 minutes daily They closed. We do have meditation once a week in yoga class.
Figure out how to be around people without catching their vibe (mirror their neurons). I haven’t.

Improve Sleep
Hang black out curtains to make the bedroom darker; limit caffeine and alcohol. This I did. Sleep is a highly underrated activity.

Be More Social
Call and write a friend every day. Didn’t do.
Find out the cause of Jay’s death. Jay was my special friend, but I didn’t do this either.
Get more SEX. Didn’t do. I might take this off my list. Too much trouble.
Volunteer for the SFBA Newsletter (or something). I did volunteer to give a few windsurfing seminars.
Find riding friends and play tennis. I had a great time riding with friends last year, but I quit because I tired of driving the car to meet them. I played tennis with my sister, which is actually fun, but I don’t have a regular partner. She lives in LA.

Make Money
Create Websites. I did this, but I haven’t worked at it enough to make money.
Plan expenditures and follow budget. This I did.
Resume writing, plan book, and join writers’ group. Didn’t do.
Organize ideas. Didn’t do.
Begin preparations for a career as a visual arts artist. Didn’t do. I took art lessons in 07 but not 08.

Banish Entropy
Keep house neat and clean. Didn’t do.
Organize office and make scrapbooks. Didn’t do.
Streamline wardrobe and get rid of stuff. Didn’t do.
Finish outstanding projects and complete each before starting new ones. Didn’t do.

Perfect House and Garden
Plant that eucalyptus, move the lemon trees, re-do vegetable patch. These I did, except I planted fruit trees instead of eucalyptus.
Plan home improvements (new windows, furnace, appliances). Didn’t do. I’ve been concentrating on the yard.

Get Out More
Take day trips once a week (ocean, Crissy, 3rd, River). I took only half a dozen local trips last year and almost none in 07.
Go out in the evening once a week. I was doing OK on this when I was dating Pseudo Boyfriend #2. The problem is that I can’t tolerate his advances–he’s simply too inept.
Take short trips in the area once a month (boogie board in Santa Cruz). Didn’t do.

Improve Health and Everyday Appearance
Eat slowly and don’t do anything else (read, watch TV) while you eat. I’m doing this more.
Brush hair, teeth, bathe, moisturize, wear decent clothes, some makeup, DAILY. Didn’t do.
Take vitamins regularly. Didn’t do.
Research and follow health tips (such as use silver and manicure with tea tree oil). Use silver? I have no idea what I was thinking.

Get More Exercise
Run 15 minutes a day with four hour-long aerobic sessions a week. Didn’t do.
Yoga 15 minutes a day with four one-hour sessions a week. I do go to class as much as four times a week but I don’t have a daily practice.
Three one-hour (minimum) bike rides a week. Did this more in 07 than 08.
Find a new step class. Didn’t do.

Perfect Skills: practice regularly and take lessons
Play piano every day for 15 minutes. Didn’t do.
Practice violin every day for 15 minutes. Didn’t do, but I did practice enough to get better.
Windsurf better. This I did, not in 07 but in 08. I learned several twirling tricks.
Make windsurfing booklet. This I did, again, not in 07 but in 08.
Snowboard as much as possible; go to Whistler? I did snowboard as much as possible and I did get better, but I didn’t go anywhere special—not even Mammoth.

Travel More
Baja and Hawaii. Didn’t go.
Dream trips: Study art in Spain, yoga and meditation in India; fashion in France. Didn’t do.

It looks like I got about 2.5 out of 11—20%—not good.