New Leaf.

Last January, I made a single New Year’s resolution. I was determined to get into some sort of work out routine, exercise program, etc, etc. It was a cliché of a resolution if there ever was one, but it seemed like the right thing to do. Our metabolisms slow down at we get older, I know how important it is to build muscle tone, strengthen our core, and all the rest.

Last winter I tried hot yoga. Meh? Not for me. Then I took regular yoga classes, which were okay except I felt odd about spending the class with co-workers. (You know, boundaries.) Also, the instructor drove me nuts. This summer I got into a bit of a routine with bike rides. These proved a nice way to get fresh air and exercise, but it’s not exactly calming to bike through city streets, um, ever.

Nothing seemed to stick, no plan of exercise attack seemed to last.

The basic problem, me thinks, was that I made that resolution because I knew I should – not because I wanted to.

Lately though, I’ve been feeling sort of overall bleh-y. There’s not one thing I can pinpoint that’s bothering me – all the usual suspects – job, friends, family, apartment – have been living in the good column as of late and for that I am grateful. Still, it is getting dark earlier (at 4:30pm, are you even kidding me Boston) the weather’s turning colder, people are beginning to hibernate, and it’s only a matter of time before I’m tearing my hair out over the winter that never ends. Knowing that stresses me out. Even more so, I’ve felt kind of like I’m stuck in a rut as of late. There’s certainly nothing wrong with my routine, per say, but there have been moments over the past month where I feel like I’m just setting foot on the get up, go to work, eat dinner, meet friends, read a book, go to bed treadmill ever day and that gets a tad tiresome. It’s well, a routine.

I’m feeling kind of restless, kind of bored, kind of ready for some sort of change-up.

I've been working hard this fall at really focusing on me and making the best life for myself that I can, within my means. (I mean, sure. Going to live on a tropical island for a few months would be a nice change-up to my routine too but that’s not exactly in the cards, unfortunately.)

So, yesterday, I joined my neighborhood gym. Frankly, I haven’t the foggiest notion of whether or not this was my most brilliant idea ever or if I’m going to be throwing money away every month. Still, as I thought about what I wanted to do to break my standard routine up a bit, I started thinking about how good I always feel after I do push my body in some physical capacity, be it ballet, horseback riding, hiking, or the above mentioned hectic bike rides ‘round the city. I have only ever belonged to one other gym in my lifetime, one I went to only a handful of times, mainly because it was out of the way of both work and home. This gym is one I walk past every night on my way home from the office, which I hope will give me more incentive to get in there and get that workout done.

That, and this resolution – or life list goal, rather (#40) - is one I really would like to make happen.

First class is tonight.