I’ve seen these posts cross the crowded tundra of my feed reader, full of promise and 10, 20, 35 poundses. They proclaim why you will lose weight, why you won’t lose weight and why you won’t swear to lose weight. The word resolution has such a sweet, naughty ring to it, don’t it? It’s both the potential for greatness and the decline of a hero, maybe – especially when you go around sharing such deep-hearted I wish I may, I wish I mights on the Internet.
Anyone can be watching you on the day that you don’t exercise. Eat doughnuts. Unearth the credit card for a virtual trip to Etsy. Something crazed, like 70% of resolutions have been broken before it’s even Valentine’s Day – a day you very well might have wanted to lose the weight for, save the money up to treat on, or get lap-dance-quality abs in honour of.
There’s a rumour the productivity people are trying to spread around: if you call it a goal, you’re more likely to keep the resolution goal. If you find little micro-goals, that will become catalysts for the big-bad-crazy resolution goal, you’re more likely to surf the big kahuna and look better than Frankie Avalon doing it. And if you want to ‘roids-free version of resolution goal home runs, you set a resolution goal for each month or so, since it takes an average of three weeks or just after for a habit (or the quitting of said tasty, wonderful, nicotine-laden habit) to stick.
I have an field-goal coming my way, if I can just keep my nose in the game and get the damn ball through the uprights: Paris. As in, the moving of us to it.
I figure it will be magical and unforgettable and educational and momentous. Also, it will cost an ass-ton between visas, and moving and travelling costs, plus there’s, you know, living expenses while we’re there. Me? I plan to freelance and maybe try to find an assistant ESL position because I’ve heard that they’re minimum effort for minimum time and maximum dollah dollah bills and really? I just need some sponsorship, to keep the visa aspect as easy as possible.
That being said. I plan to save at least a figure which is more than $9,999 saved up before I consider going. I plan to have Zoë and I well-equipped in French. I also plan to take almost nothing with us except for those really important books and toys and clothes – everything else will be stored until we figure out if we’re coming back or not.
So. Grandiose, yup, but doable. There’s an unofficial time-clock starting now, can you hear it? I’d prefer to be there before Zoë’s 6th birthday, when she would be school-aged, so that gives us less than 2.5 years – in fact, I’d prefer to be there within a year and a half, but hey, wiggle room, right?
How will I do it? Operation Miser’s my New Year’s resolution goal: Save, instead of spend; buy what’s needed, instead of what’s cheap but will be a waste; splurge minimally, instead of always; think before I buy, instead of brainlessly handing over cash; plan, instead of flying by the worn-out seat of my pants.
Cuz Mama’s gonna wanna be able to afford more pants in France.