I’m sure Ben will read this and have commentary to share, but in any case this post is dedicated to Ben and the motivational tidbit he shared with me yesterday.

Jerry Seinfeld has been reported (by Ben) to say that the idea of “don’t break the chain” is a powerful and effective tool for a) productivity and b) habit forming. My real life example is running – I’m resuming my running habit after six months off, and my focus inland performance yet – it’s simply logging miles. I will tick off every day that I’ve run, and try not to miss a day.

(Obviously when incinerate to focus on performance I won’t run every day, but I will work in some kind of low impact fitness on the running rest days. Recovery exercise. This messes with my example, so don’t focus on this.)

Day two, so far so good. I know it’s working because I thought about not working out tomorrow and then immediately rewrote my day so that a run is feasible. I WILL NOT BREAK THE CHAIN!

How many days does it have to be before I can consider the habit formed? I think even time alone cannot tell. Time and my inclinations will tell. However, I’ll add a photography chain after the running chain is built. One task at a time.

Update:
Benjamin Katz: Lifehacker article about it is here: http://lifehacker.com/281626/jerry-seinfelds-productivity-secret

Cheryl Brummer Katz: Oh and here, Lifehacker says it’ll take 21 days. Reiterating some of my habit forming thoughts! http://lifehacker.com/5724234/how-to-form-good-habits-this-year?skyline=true&s=i

Also known as: One resolution executed.

Did I come home from Perú bitten by the handicraft bug? Absolutely. I’ve been carrying this Schacht spindle around with me and worked the very last yarn that I could fit onto it before I wound off today and started anew. This heathered denim-blue Merino wool is just about the softest thing I’ve ever touched. I can’t wait to see a) how much of it I get and b) what it will become one day.

This is but one of my resolutions. I have no excuse not to spend at least a little bit of my time each week engaging in productive handicrafts, especially since I have more raw materials than the deity of your choice, and as a fully employed woman it was not moving fast, to say the least.

Other resolutions:
- Read more (books), dawdle about online less.
- Post more frequently to this here blog, about the more substantive matters of life: food, books, religion, crafts, and anything that remains interesting to me about current events
- Buy only what we (I) need, and buy used when possible.
- Stay on track with nutrition and fitness (I started this year more than 50 lb lighter than I started 2008. I don’t expect to maintain this trend, but I’d like to stay in my current ballpark.)
- Cook at home more and eat out less.
- Eat only ethically raised and farmed animal proteins (once I finish what’s already in our freezer.)
- Squeeze all the meals I can out of our CSA box and whatever supplemental vegetables we need to buy.

Hmm, this came out sounding like a lot more work than I think it will be. Ultimately, it’s more of the same. More of last year, but tweaked and improved.

Cheers, 2009!