Lax promises of “We should,” or “One day I am going to,” or “Let’s do this,” annoy me. Don’t just say it, follow through and do it.

I am so guilty of uttering those words. My “someday” list is lengthy.

I can’t tell you how many springtime evenings a friend and I spent planning a summer “survival” camping trip. The idea was to plan to take the basics: shelter, food and water. Then, without consulting each other, we would each bring five items we thought were necessary to get us through a weekend in the woods. It was to be a challenge to see who made the better choices and maybe learn something along the way.

For years we looked forward to it. We talked about it. We penciled weekends into our calendars.

It hasn’t happened.

In the same manner, I used to make empty resolutions at the start of a new year. Spend more time at the gym, lose weight, give more, work less or quit one of a handful of vices. Whatever I vowed to change gave a strong showing for a few weeks before fizzling out.

Then instead of a once a year give-it-your-all change, I opted to tweak what I think I needed to work on as it came up throughout the year. Eventually, I didn’t give it much thought at all and just carried on as always.

Not so for 2020! This year, I am making a resolution and I have a game plan in place.

It all started — or rather came together — as I stood looking at the stars on an ultra-clear night. I found Orion’s Belt and thought about how it would move across the sky as winter progressed into spring. As I stood under the stars, I thought about how our ancestors used the stars to navigate.

I’m not sure why but that night what I had been contemplating suddenly became as clear and bright as the stars above me.

For years I’ve thought about becoming a Registered Maine Guide specializing in Recreation. Could I expand — and then share — my knowledge of enjoying all my backyard mountains and lakes offer? I admire the guides I know and have secretly aspired to follow in their footsteps for some time.

It’s been a thought that has been lurking on my “someday” list for quite some time.

In the days that followed my starlit revelation, I resolved to make that “someday” dream into an “I’m going to absolutely do this!” plan. I signed up for a course to prepare for the guide test.

That’s my goal for the upcoming year … to deplete the “someday” wish list and add to the “experience” list.

Topping the latter list is a survival camping trip that has been in the planning stages for at least a decade. We’ve set a date. It’s on our calendars, solidified in ink.

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2019 – The Year in Review, part 1