megdanielle

Happy new year, my resolute friends! We have officially made it into 2011.

As is often the case on the 1st of January, I have spent today doing nothing of importance to mark the line between 2010 and 2011; the day has simply drifted by silently while the Mitten mourned its poor performing football teams. Well, in truth, I did take vitamins this morning and that is something new. I also took some tonight, because that’s what these particular vitamins call for. And I should admit that in addition to my new vitamin regimen, I have subscribed to a feel trial of ExerciseTV. That might sound extremely lame but I need to jumpstart myself in the exercise department and what better way than to provide myself with access to planned workouts at home? Plus, the actual subscription is only $9.99/month and comes with a complimentary subscription to SHAPE magazine (Score!).

These things might sound like resolutions to you, but they’re not. Well, not New Year’s Resolutions anyway. I’ve simply run out of excuses for putting them off. Following these will be the creation and maintenance of a budget (Gag.). I think I hate this time of year. Even when I don’t want anything to do with jump starting new projects, I find myself doing exactly that. Plus, it’s cold. Also, it’s dark way too early. All of those things make this time of year slightly unappealing to me. Oh – and winter sports.

I’m terrible at winter sports. Or perhaps I’m decent but don’t give myself a chance. Maybe I’m even great but have never practiced. Who knows. Whatever the case, the thought of tackling winter sports makes me ridiculously anxious. That and swimming actually (My parents were advocates of indoor sports, it would seem.). This anxious feeling is probably some remnant of my former perfectionist self; though I’ve eradicated most other forms of that self, this anxiety (read “pride”) remains. The huge downside of being a (former) perfectionist who is pretty decent at indoors sports: I’ve little willpower to fail miserably at an outdoor one.

I had resolved at the beginning of this winter season to once and for all become moderate at snowboarding and get myself off the darn bunny hill. I’m told it’s not a cool place to be. Now, however, I am challenged to take up skiing (I had sworn this off since birth…or more accurately since hearing how one of my aunt’s messed up her leg badly on skis) so that I can survive Colorado in the winter. I was bad enough at committing to snowboarding (I’ve gone a handful of times (if that) and had received lessons once at Spring Hill on a tiny hill many years ago); how am I going to commit to skiing?

This is a no-good challenge for someone who hates to fail and is in a permanent state of freezing. Bollux.

It’s $19 for ski rentals, $100 for three 1-hour lessons ($157), and $28 for lift-tickets (a total of $241 unless the lessons include lift or rentals). I could jump out of a plane again for cheaper than that (just a fun fact I thought I’d throw in there). It seems like a hefty investment for something that I’m already gritting my teeth against. Yet I’m already aware of what a drag it is to be a piss-poor swimmer as an adult when friends start getting boats or going snorkeling, etc…is skiing going to be my new swimming????

It’s failure by avoidance and those situations are so unfair!

What do I do? Bite the bullet and front the cash now so that this doesn’t become a source of anxiety every time someone wants to hit the slopes in the future? Avoid, avoid, avoid and stick to my guns about never skiing or welcoming any activity that involves me being colder than I am during any point in a normal day? I need some advice…and depending on how the responses go, an instructor.