I love making resolutions for the new year. It’s just one of those meditative rituals I enjoy; a sort of mental end-of-year cleaning thing, I guess. Clearing away the debris of the ending year, making peace with the things I didn’t get done, opportunities whose knocks came while I was in the shower, diems un-carpe’d. There’s nothing I can do about it now, so it’s time to focus on the year to come. Kinda gives ya a chance to sit down with yourself and see what you learned from your mistakes.

At one point in my life — back when I was about 15 or so — I wrote the ultimate New Year’s resolution list. Some 200+ things to get done within my lifetime. And it’s kinda fun and funny to go back and look at that list and realize that I’ve actually checked off several of those things, such as “incite a riot” and “start my own religious following,” especially if you apply a little creative interpretation.

So today, with some unexpected — but much appreciated — downtime, I am working on my list for 2014.

It’s really just a shopping list.

“Finish the pedi bench upholstery.”

“New curtains for the salon.”

“More rhinestones.”

I figure this must mean that I’ve actually already accomplished all the things that I have to do; now all I have left are the things I have to get.

That means I’m making progress, right?