Bloganuary 2023 – my first post

Happy New Year! This is my first post in Bloganuary, a month-long WordPress challenge to publish more frequently in the blogosphere. The first Bloganuary prompt is “What is something you want to achieve this year?”

I’ve never been someone to make New Year’s resolutions. I think it’s all too easy to fall short of them and be disappointed. There are some personal goals that are close to my heart that I’d like to continue with, though. One of those is to learn something new every day. It can be a small thing, really – the definition of a word, the name of a bird, a recipe, an aspect of a city I want to visit. Maybe it’s a fact about a loved one that helps me understand them better. I try to stay open-minded and curious about the world around me.

I’d also like to shed a few pounds that have crept on me these last three or so years. It has become more challenging to keep a healthy weight as I get older; probably one way I’ll approach this is to moderately increase my exercise. To be honest, I don’t lead a sedentary lifestyle. I am on my feet five days a week as a prof, I travel often, and I have a dog that goes out with me at least three times a day. I’ve done a little research about muscle loss in mid-life; some weight-bearing exercise might be the best thing to help me get back into some of my favorite clothes.

Finally, on the subject of blogs – I’d really like to expand this one a bit more. Currently, it’s a kind of craft diary, with an occasional glimpse into my life in South Korea and my trips abroad. I have been posting an average of four times a month since 2019, and the posts aren’t especially detailed. I’m not yet sure what direction I want to go from here, though. This space has a lot of potential to be a nursery of ideas that might one day inspire a business or even a book. The Bloganuary is something of a toe in the water. I’m not accustomed to, or comfortable with, writing at length about myself.

Overall, I want to be a kind person, enjoy my many interests, and stay as open as I can for life’s opportunities. I hope my attitude leads me to wise choices and good people. I’ll strive to carry on this way in the years to come.