In search of time

If today is indicative, Louis has resolved to climb more hills

Technically, I guess, one is supposed to make new year's resolutions somewhat earlier than 4 January. Or whatever date it is when I finish writing this. But seeing as I only just got round to posting my highlights of 09 I feel I'm kind of about on track. Plus everyone knows new year's resolutions never really kick in until about February.....

I often um and ah about whether to make resolutions: sometimes they can just add to one's general feelings of inadequacy (I'd already had alcohol, chocolate, crisps and a late night by 2 January), but as they kind of go with the whole liking the start of January thing, I reckon I should give them a shot. I've learnt from experience that they work best if you keep them simple. (My top year was when I resolved to get into the O.C. Seriously.)

I'm keeping them (it) simple again this year. Basically I want to find more time. For me, DJ, Louis, everyone really. My impetus was just coming off the phone with a very good friend I hadn't spoken to in probably a year. My excuse was that pretty much all of last year had vanished in a blur of trying to get Louis to sleep. That one task wiped out evening upon evening and destroyed whatever time I might have had spare in the daytime by making me too incoherent to speak. But if I could dare to hope that we might be past the worst on that front, then I should be able to make more time to do the 101 things I feel passed me by in 2009.

I'm not talking about anything grand: I might have listened wistfully yesterday to a friend telling me how he's managing to write an amazing sounding history book while holding down a 9 to 5 job, but I think I'd better save that particular resolution for another year. For now, I'd be happy just to be able to escape to the odd film, meet friends for a meal and somehow manage to visit my Dad/Grandpa/friend(s) in Scotland/Switzerland/DC/Brussels/Ealing. To make this resolution work, though, me finding more time means I need to work out how to spend less of this year operating a one-in, one-out parenting policy in this house and spend more of it with DJ.

If this week is anything to go by (he's working solidly, including through two nights until I go back to work on Thursday when he's then got four days off) then I'm going to have my work cut out. But it's still only 4 January (I've written this in one sitting) so for now, at least, I can still hope. (And while I'm at it, this resolution sits alongside the usual, namely: run that half-marathon, actually print out some photos of Louis, learn a new hobby, blog more frequently, eat less sugar, switch jobs, emigrate, make a wedding album, etc, etc, etc.........) How about anyone else?

PS Just saw this HuffPo piece on resolving to get more sleep. Another good one. Check it out.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/sleep-challenge-2010-wome_b_409973.html