Resolution = Flexibility

So how many of us actually stick to the resolutions we make at the beginning of the new year? Not many, if any of us do. Resolution is a word that to many sounds so final and as if there is no flexibility involved. But maybe if we see a resolution as more of a lifestyle change, or as a goal to be met then perhaps those 'resolutions' we make won't be so hard to keep. Seeing a resolution as a more flexible way to change things in our lives makes the end result seem as if it is something we can achieve. Lifestyle changes and goals have the flexibility in them to move in the direction that we didn't see at first when we made the choice to change.

Everyday life is not set. We wake up one morning and the path we saw for the day is way off course from what we had planned.

My 'resolution' is not such a big one in the grand scheme of things. But I felt that I HAD to get it done and it HAD to be done NOW so that I would have it DONE for the next time I looked for a recipe. So I pulled out all the bits of paper, books, notes, copies, etc. of all the recipes I have on just ONE shelf and had it all spread out and was thinking that I HAVE to get this finished NOW. Talk about pressure and all for a recipe book.

At the end of a couple of hours I thought I'll NEVER get this done, just LOOK at ALL these recipes. WHAT was I thinking? This will take DAYS.

While going through this self-imposed pressure cooker, I was surprised to see how many recipes I have cooked. A pleasant surprise. And, I did manage to find the potato pancake recipe that I've been looking for since Thanksgiving - yoohoo! Of course, now I don't have any leftover mashed potatoes, but at least now I know where to find the recipe.

Taking a walk away and then coming back to see it all laid out on the couch I decided to get real. It was crazy for me to think that I could get it started and finished just like that. This will be a project that will take days to get finished, and then it will be an on-going project since I am a recipe-holic. I put the ones I had cooked in a separate folder and put the others in another folder and put it away. For now. Instead of trying to get it finished all at one time, I'm giving myself the flexibility to take my time with it. To work on it a bit at a time. I want to have fun with this project and I was NOT having fun.

So I went to Barnes and Noble to take a breather. While there I found a notebook just for the idea that I have to keep myself in order in the kitchen. I didn't get it, but it was a great inspiration tool and I'm again looking forward to working on this project.