Pearls: Resolutions made for 2023

EDITORIAL MUG: Matt Pearl

Did you ever make a few New Year’s resolutions in your mind – but there were still a few days left in the year? What did you do?

I know that with my resolutions in mind I should just put them into action early. Why wait for one certain day to begin a good habit – or to end a bad one? But is that what I will actually do?

No way. I’m going to enjoy that good Christmas food. I’m not going to let a workout plan cut short a good night’s sleep. These are the holidays – and before that ‘2023’ ball drops in Time Square, I’m not taking on any complicated self-improvement projects.

Anyway, when Jan. 1, 2023 arrives, then I will have a whole slate of goals in place for my self-betterment. Here’s a sneak preview:

Get up early. I don’t exactly sleep until a luxuriously late hour, but 30-60 more minutes of a morning would be the perfect time for me to exercise, do a little writing, maybe drink a little coffee. There’s no downside, really, except making myself get up earlier in the dead of winter.

Exercise. I mean, if I’m getting up early, I might as well knock out a few push-ups or log a few miles on the treadmill. I feel pretty good, but I’d like to keep it that way for a few more years, so exercise and diet seem like effective means to be as youthful as I can.

Food. Yes, food. Specifically, sugar. I have to find ways to keep all that processed crap out of my life. But it’s all so good. I know if you stick to the meat and produce – the outside of the grocery store, as it were – you stay healthier. And I really have a sweet tooth, too. I had my habit of drinking pop kicked at this time last year, but I somehow came back to it, which is a real problem.

Time. My life more than ever is demanding that I be purposeful and organized with my time. I can do both of these things, but I am not naturally skilled at managing the clock. It takes effort and planning, so I want to see myself continue to improve in the balancing act of time management.

Communication. We all get busy, but there are people who I need to call more often. It’s one of my great frustrations with myself, that it’s so easy that even while I’m doing positive things that I can become self-absorbed as I do. Keeping those lines of communication open with folks I care about needs to be a big priority in 2023.

Floss. Don’t judge me. You don’t do it either.

Finish some projects. Between my basement and my garage, there’s a recurring theme of projects that get started but never get finished. I would really like to get a few of those jobs knocked out in the year to come.

Pick a planner. My phone? A calendar I carry? It doesn’t matter which I choose, but I need to start putting all my plans and appointments into the same spot. Why should this be so difficult? It shouldn’t be. Yet here I am, needing to just pick one and move on.

Write for fun. Most of what I write is for work, but it’s truly a task I enjoy. Why not expand my horizons and do more writing for leisure?

There are probably many more areas where I need to improve, but when the New Year begins, I’ll call this my list. Have any suggestions? Keep them to yourself. Or send them to me in a year or two.

Matt Pearl owns and operates newspapers in King City and Albany.