Goals p.k.a Resolutions

 

Picture courtesy- http://notesfromthebartender.wordpress.com/

Pssst… Let me share a secret: The entire world has a love-hate relationship with New Year’s Resolution(s) {NYR} ;p  They love to hate it so much that it will eventually be renamed and not called resolutions at all!  Actually the world population seems to be divided into faithful followers of this new year traditions or naysayers of these ‘tiresome’ resolutions ;p

Every other blog has started this year’s entries (mine included ;)) about their plans/ resolutions, or lack of,  for the new year- as you can read here, here, here and here. NYRs are dismissed cos they make people forgetful,  (cannot remember by the second day/ week/ month of the year- is a common refrain ;)) they make people feel bad for not keeping up with them and they are there- taunting you on your imperfections! ;>

Not too long ago, I was singing a similar tune- disregarding NYRs.  Then somehow, I kept to my simple resolution last year- no buying of magazines (the time when I was in hospital and the daddy bought me one, is not counted!  I did not buy it and the daddy has been ‘conditioned’ to get me mags whenever I was warded for deliveries ;;))

And of course after that small success (which I have trumpeted wherever possible ;)) it will be most silly of me not to make and keep another one! Rite!

My fave blogs have posted on reasons why NYRs are not kept and how to attain the realistic goals. And if you have time and inclination, doing an online search will yield a very long list of sites that help you meet NYRs, the ideal resolutions to keep and even sharing your resolutions with the rest of the world!

While I was pondering over a do-able resolution, i realised that because NYRs are getting so ‘unpopular’, they are now being called goals/ inspirations/ aspirations/ changes- just as how I am viewing mine as a goal (great minds think alike eh ;)). Now is there any of us who dare say we do not have any goal (in life/ for this year)…?

Now to the crux of the matter, or rather this post: my goal for this year/ I resolve to read a news article with my children daily. This is in line with the family goal of focusing on the children’s schooling this year. (Not that was any lack of focus before, we let them be and play more than study ;)) 

The goal popped into my head only two days ago as we were perusing an article on the loss of local fish farms. All 3 became curious and it occurred to me that I can use one article on 3 levels for each child: Princess can have mini vocabulary and comprehension exercises, Adorable learns to read headlines and Sunshine learns to recognise a word, with any picture included. (Oh, i also realised that obituaries are great way to form family tree diagrams. Not that I mean to be inquisitive about and insensitive to the deceased’s family, but  really inference skills are required to match the family members. Maybe my obituary can have such diagram- instead of traditional listing- if the local paper will allow ;))

There were actually more pressing goals I had in mind- paying bills on time (my frequent absent-mindedness made 2009 an unnecessarily expensive year! ;(, declutter and so many others. They will be given due attention. And as I have learnt from last year, keeping it simple and do-able is the ONLY way (for me) to meet the goal previously known as the resolution! ;D