The Winter Blues

When I was young, my parents encouraged me every year to make a New Year’s resolution, which I did, but I don’t remember sticking to any of them for more than a week or so.  I think I gave up candy one year, which caused me to eat more cookies and ice cream.  It all seemed so stupid to me, as when I really wanted to do something, I just did it and I felt no need to make a resolution to do that.  I actually feel that New Year’s resolutions are made at the wrong time of year, because life slows down in the winter and the way I respond to that is by planting myself in front of the television or just staying in bed and hiding under the covers to keep warm.

I started thinking that I might have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which is a form of depression that emerges during the winter months for some people.  I found out that persons suffering from the winter version of SAD might have symptoms such as, Frequent oversleeping, Cravings for carbohydrates along with weight gain and Relationship problems.  Hey, I got all of that, however I do not feel depressed.  I have never been depressed, although I have felt sadness, been lonely, disappointed, hurt and I have fallen on some hard times.

I achieved a milestone just a few weeks ago by making my 500^th post and that was a goal that I set for myself about a month earlier, when I realized that I had just finished writing my 460^th blog.  I am different from most people and I guess I could describe myself as a Nike Just Do It kind of guy that does not need to set goals.  Too many people like to rush into an idea, which I feel creates a lack of incentive for actually seeing it through, so usually their New Year’s resolutions are doomed from the start.  Each year should be viewed as being a marathon, not a sprint, so only the resolutions which are carefully planned out will have a chance to succeed, so to make an effective resolution, you should come up with a game plan and then execute it.

There is no guaranteed path to success, but as the proverb goes, if at first you don’t succeed, then try, try again.  For 2018, I will not resolve to lose weight, get fit, eat healthy or give up snacks, but I will write more creative posts, as that is something that I have control over.  If I feel the winter blues approaching, then I can always eat more chocolate, as I heard that it may help to enhance my mood and relieve anxiety.  I do resolve to not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Written for 12/30/17 Linda G. Hill’s ‘Life in progress’ Stream of Consciousness Saturday where the prompt is ‘resolution’.