Dance Dance Resolution

[wrote_and_writ]

I’m not super big on New Year’s Resolutions, but I do like challenges, like writing challenges and year-long collection of things (I’ve done one completed temperature cross stitch for me, I did one for my mom, and one I’ll try to finish for 2024), and the changing of the calendar is a convenient time to do that, so…

I received a 2025 Planner as a gift from a friend. I don’t use calendar-year planners because I have my teacher plan book, but since it was a gift, I thought I would try a gratitude journal again. I did one back in 2016 or 2017, and I tried in 2020 or 2021 and failed. I don’t think I kept the one I completed — I’m not particularly sentimental, and I don’t save my old journals for very long. The act of writing is more important to me than the act of re-reading. At any rate, this little book has small boxes for each day, so I’m going to write down one positive thing about the day in each box. I’m sure some days will be “I got out of bed and went to work,” or “I washed the dishes in the sink.” I had more than a few days with the smallest of good things in that 2016-2017 journal. But I did get through to better days, and I hope the coming year will be more good days, on balance. And I have a use for a thing that was given with affection.

This year, I really want to get to know where I live. It helps that I live in one of the world’s greatest cities. When I moved to China in 2018, I didn’t really get to know Shenzhen. Instead, I took advantage of the easy travel in East Asia. Then when I moved to Minsk, it was pretty-vaccine, post-Lukashenko’s fraudulent election, so, not the ideal time for exploring. I still got to do and see some incredible things, particularly since I never imagined I’d live in Belarus. But I really wasted a lot of time in Minsk, and I don’t see myself going back. In Taiwan, I struggled with work and money, and so I only really got myself out and about in the last few months of my time there. And now I’m back in China, and despite an early setback of pneumonia, I am resolved to poke around Shanghai and its environs as much as possible. (Next year, in addition to looking for another school, I hope to travel a bit more in China.)

I would also like to try more non-Starbucks cafes, if I can find anything with seating! I would also like to eat more cake when I go to those cafes. Pastries or cookies are also acceptable. I’m not actually a fan of sweets as much, but I would like to try nice ones. That was one thing I loved about Minsk — a little cafe with lovely, fresh cakes. I liked this blueberry-lavender cake they had.

Oh, I guess I’d like to keep up with Duolingo and French, and I really should put more effort in to Chinese. (I did watch all of season one of Under the Skin, so I’m counting that as listening practice.)

So those are my big goals for 2025. I’m not starting another temperature tracker project, and I’ve decided not to try GYWO again. I know I have a lot on my plate, and a lot of WIPs that need to be finished, craft-wise. But I think poking around and eating cake are excellent things to look forward to this year.

Comments

[clevermanka]

Best of luck with the gratitude journal. I struggle with that as well so I respect your giving it a go!

[wrote_and_writ]

The small boxes really help.

[pauraque]

There have been times when I've kept a gratitude journal, though I don't do it all the time, and I think the habit of thinking about things to be grateful for has had a positive impact on me even when I'm not actively doing the journaling part.

[wrote_and_writ]

I’m also using it to track temperature high/lows in case I do a tracking project this year (I haven’t finished 2024’s project), and to use some of my many many stickers.

[umadoshi]

I had more than a few days with the smallest of good things in that 2016-2017 journal. But I did get through to better days, and I hope the coming year will be more good days, on balance.

<3 <3 <3 I hope so too.

And now I’m back in China, and despite an early setback of pneumonia, I am resolved to poke around Shanghai and its environs as much as possible.

This is an excellent goal!

[wrote_and_writ]

I like small, achievable goals.