So this is the new year

"So this is the new year and I don't feel any different", a line from a favorite song of mine by Death Cab for Cutie.

I also kind of feel like a broken record because I am pretty sure I have blogged about this before, maybe even quoted that song before. But am I the only one that doesn't feel that sense of renewal and starting over that everyone talks about with the new year? I feel it more when school starts in August/September. And then in January it is less about resolutions then it is tinkering with any new habits I had put in place in the fall. More resolve than resolution? I don't know if that makes sense. Put another way, in January, when we return to the every day routines after the holiday break, I like to look at the things I was already focused on accomplishing, the things I was already doing and doing them even better rather than taking on something that is completely new or foreign to me.

For example, over the last 2 years I have been meal planning. Every summer it falls to the wayside and every school year, I start it over. It again drops over the holidays and when I pick it back up in January, I am resolved to improve the system. And over the last 2 years I have become more consistent and efficient in my methods of accomplishing this.

My good friend and fellow blogger Jen brought about an interesting discussion about new year's resolutions on Facebook by resolving NOT to change anything. One reply stated it another way by suggesting to resolve to continue something you are doing that is already good, fun or healthy like "I resolve not to change my habit of reading to the kids most every night". I really like this concept.

And of course there is A LOT I cannot do right now, so my aversion to resolutions is even more pronounced. Last year I resolved to walk/run 500 miles and although I did increase my total from 250 miles in 2010 to 350 in 2011, I still fell short. It would be unwise of me to take on another fitness challenge right now when I will be very activity restricted for at least another 5 weeks.

BUT there is one thing I am taking on in the new year and that is a 365 photo project. There are so many variations on this but basically my aim is to take a picture (SLR or phone) at least once every day. My goal (and this is the connection to yesterday's funny post in case anyone was wondering) is to capture more of the every day, more candids.

You see, I am very good at taking lots of pictures on special occasions/special outings, holidays, birthdays. And usually a lot of these photos are posed. You know, "stop, stand here, say cheese!". The kids will definitely have pictures and blog posts reminding them of all the fun things we did. But what about the fun that we have in the every day moments? The moments like we had so many of this last week while all just hanging out around the house? I want to capture that too. So that is my goal in taking on this project.

And in addition to capturing it, I also want to be able to live in it. To just live in the moment and enjoy it. Being forced to take it easy made me realize even more than I already knew that this is so very, very important and something that for me, does not necessarily come naturally. But I have seen the benefits and it made me crave it even more. So I guess if anyone asked what my new year's resolution is, I might just say:

Live in the moment. I resolve to just be.