Don Kowalewski
Writer. Ad Sales and Marketing. Social Media Content Creator. Aeropress Coffee. Makes the best salsa in the world.
Mid Year Resolutions
Readers of this blog know I much prefer Mid-Year Resolutions to New Year Resolutions. Mid-year is like half-time of a football game. You’ve had a chance to look at the year, you see how it’s trying to beat you, so you adjust and come out at halftime and dominate.
No, I don’t want you to tell me how by half-time, some teams are already beaten and outmatched and they don’t have the talent to match-up with their opponent. It’s my metaphor and metaphors don’t have to make total sense. They just have to sound like they make sense.
Last year at this time, 2013 was destroying me. I had a job I was quickly falling out of love with, I laid awake at night in hotel rooms in seedy areas regretting the decision, and thinking about how I was going to fix things. I felt helpless, but like a cornered rat, I was awash in pizza boxes and empty bags of Doritos. But, I vowed at the mid-year mark of 2013 that I would be miserable for one more month, and then I’d take action.
OK, actually , I didn’t consciously make that decision, but that’s what happened. I think on July 1st last year, I still thought would make that new venture work.
Here I am one year later. I have a new job. I love this new job. I work with great people. Having been in a place where I could barely get out of bed each morning, I realize how cool my new job is. It is hard, and there are still sleepless nights when I fret and worry about things at work and about things I can’t control, but I assume most people think about their jobs like that.
So, you ask, what sorta things am I gonna resolve to do when it seems like things are going OK? I’m going to build on what I got going on. Here’s the 8 things on my list…
- Listen to more self-help and motivational audio (I’ve been going with alotta comedy on my daily walks with my dog)
- Eat less calories after dinner – I have this bad habit of being tired and wanting to watch TV, so I eat to stay awake …yes…I do that. I feel shame.
- Get a new haircut to go with my receding hairline and thinning hair. I’m not ever going to be as handsome as Bra
dley Cooper, and I’m not quite as balding as Jude Law (or Matt Lauer for that matter), but I’m going with short hair. - Get-up at 5:00 a.m. every day. I’ve gotten into this bad habit of waking up about that time and even though my body won’t let me fall back asleep, I lay there. Kinda being lazy, kinda hoping I fall back asleep (even though I know sleep at that point, is going to bad sleep). If I feel overtired, I resolve to go to bed earlier rather then try and sleep late.
- Invent a fun, quality hour of something with each of my kids (and possibly my wife …hi, babe!) each week. Driving range? Walk with the dog? An easy chore that will teach them how to do something.
- Finish my script for a TV pilot (if that ship hasn’t sailed… KVT? I know I dropped off the earth…what say you?)
- Start writing again… I have buried myself in my new job, but I’m a better version of myself when I’m creating and writing. I owe some people some clever goodness.
- Pick up the phone and call people. I’m embarrassed. I rely too much on email and texting. Maybe everyone is guilty of this these days, but I’m going to shock people and use vocal communication again.
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