A friend of mine and Pete’s had some interesting ideas about New Year’s resolutions. For example, I had never before thought that making multiple resolutions is a good idea. He contends that if, say, one makes thirty resolutions, they’ll maybe keep four of five of them. This, playing with the law of averages, is not such a bad idea. It’s sort of like putting making multiple bets in that it increases the odds of one’s coming up with the winning number. I did this once on a Saint Patrick’s Day raffle. The numbers were on a calendar. I purchased several spots. Dang, I won $425.00, enough to purchase a really nice Mountain Hardware tent. It leaked when we were in Ireland, but the company sent us a new rain fly.

Dog sitting

I have always made one or two resolutions and then focused on keeping those in mind. I usually held fast to these resolutions for a week or so. Except for one – I resolved for a year not to drink any soda. This was really easy because I don’t often drink the stuff anyways. I’ve also often resolved to lose weight. That’s a losing preposition no matter what.

Now, making multiple resolutions – this would require what I’m not good at – foresight and planning. I’d have to make a list – I can do this. I’m always making lists. Then I’d have to keep from losing the list. Oh oh. I lose lists. I’m just not that organized. I find them months later – and I usually find that I’ve done most of what I’ve listed. And that which I have not done – I would not have done it anyways. Instead, I’d just put it on another list, and of course lose this list.

My tacking the list of resolutions to a wall might work – there it would be – The List. Right there for everyone to see, an items of thirty resolutions. No, scratch that, ten resolutions. Ten would be a good number, sort of like the Ten Commandments or clicker trainer Karen Pryor’s Ten Laws of Shaping. In thinking about these lists, I have never, ever been able to add an eleventh item. The number ten seems to cover all the bases. Commandments, don’t kill anyone, cheat on your wife, call God bad names – this and a few other commandments will get you into heaven. Clicker training – train one move at a time, don’t reward the animal gratuitously, shape the absence of behavior – this and few other rules will insure that you and your animals remain on the same level training field.

But ten resolutions. First I’d have to come up with them. Then I’d have to review them every day. Then I’d have to access my progress. Then I’d have to remember them when away from the list. Then I’d have to cross out the resolutions I was not able to keep. Sounds like major administrative to me. I suppose I could resolve to be a better administrator, but that alone would be a full-time New Year’s activity.

So I am going to limit my resolutions to three. Or was it four? I don’t remember.

Next: 6. 1/6/17 Winter Trail Riding, Lessons Learned