New Year's Dissolutions?

It's that time of year when resolutions have a horrible habit of turning from resolution into dissolution, melting as quickly as the icecream off a steaming hot pudding.

Does this sound familiar?
I will lose weight.
I will exercise more.
I will look after my body better.
I will write 2000 words every day.
I will get my novel published.
I will convince George Clooney to offer my husband a million bucks for a quick hour with me.
I will convince my husband that when George calls............Don't Say No!

BUT.. great ideas and good intentions are about as useful as teats on a bull without any specific achievable goals and a plan of action (or as useful as knowing where George lives but minus George's phone number).

So this january I am sweating it online at 'Writing and Goal Achieving Boot Camp', kick-starting the year with an injection of great ideas from Margie Lawson, psychologist, writer and motivator extroadinaire.

I did her online course 'Defeating Your Self Defeating Behaviours' in January 2009, a year I won a few comps, had requests for my kid's novel and started a Masters in Creative Writing. January 2010 I tried to wing it on my own and do a kind of partial Margie.

Guess what, 2010... some progress, but not as productive as 2009.

So Jan 2011 it's on with the boots and the khaki. Margie only runs her course online in January but you can purchase the lectures and download it any time of year from her website www.margielawson.com

In Lecture 4 she talks about the importance of stretching for a writer or computer user, a subject very dear to my little beating physio heart.
I will have a lot to say about stretching over the lifespan of this blog but here are 2 of my favorite sitting stretches to get you started. I like more active, ie moving stretches when sitting rather than passive 'held' stretches as the active variety are more energizing.


OPEN SESAME
1) Place fingers lightly behind neck
2) Bring elbows together as far as you can. 
3) Open elbows wide. Feel stretch in front of chest.
4) Keep repeating action like opening and closing a gate. Repeat x 20.
5) Squawk  or cluck like a chicken. 
NB. This step is optional but makes me laugh and brings my dog running.

The Open Sesame stretches the pectoral muscles at the front of the chest which become tight from having hands and arms constantly in front of the body.
Also note some people with shoulder problems (eg rotator cuff tears, bursitis) may not be able to do this one.
My elbows touch in front but I have thimble size mammaries. If you are more basketball than thimble, do the best you can.

WAVING AT THE CEILING
1) Stretch arms above head reaching for the ceiling.
2) Wave like crazy, alternating wrists.
BIG waves
Wave like you're leaving on a world cruise or even a little cruise on Lake Como and trying to get George's attention.

See!! Stretching can be easy and fun.

To help you remember your stretches. Give them fun names. Write them on sticky notes and stick on your computer. Or stick them by the kettle/coffee machine or fridge.
Change the notes daily so you don't get bored.

And if anyone knows George's phone number????