I Hereby Resolve

Perusing blogs this morning, I’m already seeing mention of “resolutions”. I have been thinking about this for awhile. I’m all about fresh starts and making changes (I just rearranged the living room last night) and the like, but this year, I’ve decided that I’m going to focus on ONE resolution and I want it to be something that is really meaningful to me. I hope to continue the other things that are important too, getting healthy, giving more than receiving, saving more money, making family a focus, blah, blah, blah. But, for me in 2007, it boils down to this:

I aim to only talk on the phone when I can focus all my attention on the caller.

There. Bold. Revolutionary. Original.

You see, with all of my family and friends scattered about and far away, there are many people in my life that I am very close to that I only speak with on the phone. But I talk while in the car, I talk while watching football, I talk while loading the dishwasher, I talk while fixing dinner, I talk but without giving the person my full attention and I think that’s impacted some of my relationships. I think I need to spend more time focused on the person I’m talking with and my conversations will surely be a) shorter, b) more interesting and c) I think I’ll walk away having felt like I had good fellowship with a person instead of just chit chat all the time. I've said before that I'm a "quality time" person, and I have started to feel as though the time I give to those I love isn't very good "quality" anymore.

So, there it is. My one resolution. It may mean I answer my phone less. I may have to decline to talk until I can finish what I was doing and create a window of focused time, but I’m hoping the people on the other end of the line might notice the difference and might feel more cherished, more respected, certainly more important to me than I have perhaps demonstrated in the past.

If you’re one of my calls in 2007, I hope you’ll have a better sense of how important you are to me. Cause you are. Unless, of course, you're trying to sell me something.

Comments

Peter N said…
I have a great deal for you on a used bridge...no interest for the first 20 days, and after, just 18% compounded hourly! Call now.........
No no no, but it was SO nice to see your new post, and I'd like to wish you and the whole family the happiest and healthiest New Year.
Oh, that number is 1-800-Nevermind..Peter
~ej said…
it's a great idea having ONE goal. and yours is a good one. i rarely talk on the phone, i think people are afraid to bother me just for chit chat. and i tend to wander the house as i keep the kids out of trouble or do my daily chores. thank goodness for those headsets, or i would never get to talk to dh at all!!

and THANK YOU for adding me to your discoveries links!! :-)
Jules said…
What a good resolution. I actually kept mine this year. Hopefully, I'll stick to the next one, too!
Mig said…
Sounds like a realistic resolution. I like it.

But ... how will the laundry get done?
Jennifer said…
Good idea! I am not one for resolutions myself because they never get kept. I think I'm more 'goal oriented' in that I randomly select something to focus on, then go full-force with it. Very rarely does a goal come-up anywhere close to the 1st of year, so therefore, I would not consider my 'goals' to be 'resolutions'. OK, so maybe I should set a resolution now...I need to stop rambling!

Happy New Year Amy :)
Sarah Louise said…
Good for you! And one resoultion, that's doable.
Katrina said…
That is bold and original! I love it! I also always talk on the phone while doing something else, and the conversation definitely suffers. People say "multitasking" like it's a great thing, but maybe when it comes to our relationships, it's not so much.

Popular Posts