It’s getting on towards the end of January. The festivities of the winter holidays and the glitter of the New Year are fading quickly. I’m sitting at my desk with a warm cup of tea, occasionally glancing out the window at the cold, grey day outside. Yep, it’s winter. Around here we don’t get snow, but we do get day after day of dark skies and short days. It can be hard to get motivated.
One of the things that gets me going is my list. Some folks make resolutions, but I make lists. Resolutions sound too much like something you make on December 31st, with a glass of champagne in one hand and a giant piece of cake in the other. Resolutions are what you mutter the day after the party where you had one glass too many. Lists, on the other hand, are things to cross off. Lists are ways to organize action items. And action items are things you do, not things you just want to do.
Most of us have common goals. Usually these include losing weight, working out more and eating better. My lists include these things, but they also include things I’d like to try. Things like “Take an archery lesson” or “Learn to paint watercolor”. You’ll notice I didn’t put down that I wanted to be GOOD at either of these, which is good because I would have never crossed them off if I had put myself under THAT kind of pressure.
This blog isn’t about me though, it’s about pets! So let’s talk about what kind of lists you could make for your pets. How about this year, you make it the year to try and solve your dog’s allergies. The itching, the scratching. Maybe it’s time to start an allergy/food journal for your dog or try a novel protein? This could be the year that you decide to switch your cat to a healthier, all canned food diet. Maybe this is the year you make it a priority to help Fido lose those extra pounds. This could also be the year that you decide to try something new with your pet. Introduce your cat to a leash. Take your dog to an agility class. Join a flyball team. Or a Cat Fancy Club.
Whatever your list looks like, we’d like to help. The Chinese begin their New Year on February 10th this year. This year is the Year of the Snake. One of the horoscopes I read, had this to say about a snake year. This is the year to make headway in slow and methodical ways. Things will definitely be accomplished as you focus forward. So, from now until the Chinese New Year, let’s put together our lists and work through them. We’ll be posting tips and articles to help you with your list and maybe we’ll work through a few of our own at the same time!
Mika’s New Year’s list includes Stop Begging. Does staring count?
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