New Year's Resolutions? No Way!

I think you’re supposed to write this blog in a seasonal, appropriately themed manner. I’m sure you’ve noticed (if you’re a regular reader) that mine rarely fit this criteria and are generally whatever comes to mind when it’s time for me to sit down and write it. To be fair, I give them a lot of thought before I type them up, especially this one. For the first time in many years, I have actively taken a solid two weeks off from everything over Christmas, and I have a little time! Like 

Renee Kurtz

everyone, my life is busy. I have a lot going on. But this year, knowing that my immediate household would be home, I decided to take two weeks off (minus a few days as a cashier at Tim’s Special Cut Meats, which could be a blog in and of itself), and be present for those who put up with me day-to-day. Next year, they may all prefer that I NOT do that, but I’ll keep you posted. As for the moment, it was totally worth the effort and simply fun. Resolutions, goals, values. All are important for determining who you are and what defines you, but in the end, what’s the action item? Are these the standards by which we should measure our lives?

I don’t typically make New Year’s resolutions. Are resolutions important? Yes! It’s a fresh start. A new beginning. A second chance. My not enjoying resolutions might come as a surprise, as I’m very competitive. I love a good game night. I love for my team to win. I am a go-getter, and I remember on one of my very first teaching jobs, one of the negatives in my evaluation was that I “was a go-getter and unhappy with leaving things status quo”. I look back at that and still roll my eyes, as if that was a bad thing. I believe in culture and tradition, but not at the expense of learning and forward progress. I impact a lot of lives every week, and if I can find a way to make that positive, I do it at any cost (one that is usually picked up by Steve — lol!)

Obviously, as you now know, I’m competitive. Making a resolution and not achieving it is highly unsatisfying. I don’t like that. Goals? Yes. I usually make seasonal goals. Last summer, I was determined to lose 30 pounds by walking up and down the hill that we live on. By July, the whole neighborhood was involved in my 8 miles a day and my fairly impressive tan (unless you’re a dermatologist, in which case the word "impressive" is not appropriate, as I learned in August!).

Did I achieve the goal? No. And I was disappointed. Maybe next summer. Every school year, we’re required to write down our goals, and I always come up with something. This year, the goal is for all of my 5th graders to read and locate every note on the treble clef staff from Middle C to high G on a keyboard. In terms of goals, I feel like I’ve made it in life. I love my jobs. I love where I live. If Safeway has the fruit on sale that I like to add to my Cheerios — I’m happy. And I love it. It's hard for me to come up with significant life goals right now.

I’ve been involved in several things that have forced me to identify my values. It was hard for me to nail them down, and I had to think a long time about it. I finally recognized my top three core values as honesty, generosity (in terms of time, attention, and, when possible, financial support), and gratitude. There is no doubt that most things I undertake turn out successful because of the team of people behind me, making it happen, including those who are visible and those who are not. When you see the band, the choir, and the kids on stage all at the same time, it’s because two of the three groups are entirely self-sufficient. And because Deborah’s head and eyes are doing as much work as her hands over there on the piano. And I am grateful for all of them.

The sermon on resolutions and being transformed by God, where we’re at, resonated with me on several levels. It’s easy to define yourself by your latest benchmark, whether it's a new resolution, a definition of your values, or a goal. But it’s not always the simplest task to take a few steps back and realize the impact of your actions on your life path and the lives of others. The fact that my perspective affects those with whom I have relationships has taken YEARS for me to understand fully. But it’s SO TRUE. Your resolutions, goals, and values may help you determine who you are and who you want to be, but in the end, it’s your connections with others that determine your happiness factor. Be happy. Engage with others. Be on a team. (I lean toward joining a choir, but you know — wherever you feel like your strength is … ) :-)

Joyfully yours, Renee