Thursday, January 7, 2010

My New Years(or Not) Resolutions for 2010

{image from declutterday}

First day back at the office and what a surreal feeling... I am convinced the first week of January of any given year is enough to drive the most positive person to suicide.


Paging through the January 2010 magazines they are all filled with articles like "Loose that holiday weight", "How to beat the post christmas financial crisis" and my personal favourite "My New Years Resolutions for 2010" by some has been celebrity, followed by smiley picture of said celeb surrounded by kids and ofcourse the standard labrador. I mean what is up with that?


A few years ago (ok maybe like two) I decided not to disappoint myself and make New Years Resolutions. I mean what is the point, everybody makes basically the same ones every year?


Drink less,

eat healthier,

exercise more,

be happy...and then come next year you make the same ones again, so why in 2010 would you stick to them when you didn't in 2002, 2005, 2009?


So I haven't made any New Years Resolutions...in Afrikaans we have this saying 'Laat hy val waar hy wil' roughly translated it means 'What will happen will happen'. Thats more my feeling for 2010. But on the plane back to Dar last night I did sort of formulate one, that I probably need to adhere to for my own sanity.


Travel Lighter


Every time we return home, be it after 3 days or 3 weeks I have to weigh my suitcases at home (very strenuous exercise consisting of me AND my 19 kg suitcase on a bathroom scale) to ensure that I don't exceed the magic 30. (You can now buy a handy compact hand luggage scale on SAA's duty free if anyone is interested). I mean how much STUFF can I drag(literally I need to get more muscle) to Dar from SA?


While pondering this phenomenon I had an epiphany, if we got stranded in another country TODAY with the luggage I had on me returning to Dar I could start a new life. 7 Pairs of shoes, a whole pharmacy in toiletries (can probably start a shop as well) coffee, rice milk powder what more could you need? On the other hand when I got home and tried to unpack my 30 kg worth of (I cannot do without) STUFF into my overflowing cupboards ALSO over populated by STUFF that I had carted back to Dar over a three year period, I wondered what we really need in life? If I could happily start a new life with 30 kg worth of things why do I need all this STUFF?


So this weekend will be a spring clean of note (luckily the Houseboy was outside our door this morning like an angel sent from heaven to do the other type of spring clean). I am going to get rid of all the STUFF I don't need or use anymore and give it to people who can (watch out friends...you might get a black bag!)


So the only New Years Resolutions for 2010 I am going to make is:


Travel Lighter


Live Lighter


~maisha

1 comment:

  1. maisha, i will second you on the traveling lighter - i had to pay R800 of overweight coming here! not sure of the year's supply of tampons, toothpaste and tea is worth it...

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