By Kade Agan
A little late, perhaps, but that's no reason to eschew a mid-year check in on one's New Year's resolutions. A lot people don't realize that while our neighbors to the north are celebrating Canada Day on July 1 they're also surreptitiously marking 6 months into the New Year. And what better time to reflect on the promises we've made to ourselves in deepest, darkest winter than under the summer sun? Things often look different in the light of day and maybe now is the time for an honest evaluation of our resolutions and the chance to tweak them as necessary.
As I discussed in this New Year's post, the keys to achieving any particular goal, green or otherwise, are evaluation, execution and assessment. Presumably at this point you've practiced what you were preaching to yourself, so take a moment now to evaluate your actions. Did you follow through with your goals? What have you left undone? Are you pleased with the results you've achieved so far? Obviously each resolution is personal and some are more measurable than others. If your green resolution was to cut down on energy use this can be measured by a once-over of your utility bills compared with last year, and driving less may be evident by consulting your odometer, the bus pass in your wallet or how many times your local gas station shows up on your bank statement. But other, less-specific resolutions to "be greener" require an honest evaluation. This is the time to ask yourself, "Am I really living up to my promises?" If you’re not sure how you measured up to your goals, or you want to do things by the numbers, The Nature Conservancy’s carbon footprint calculator might be helpful to you.
If you feel you've been on track with your goals and have achieved them satisfactorily thus far, then take this pause as a time to congratulate yourself. Staying the course sometimes takes just as much willpower as starting something new, so hold steady and keep up the good work. And if you're not where you'd like to be, then don't fret. This isn't over yet -- an evaluation is just that: a chance to observe progress and make any necessary changes towards fulfilling a goal. This can be the week you start hanging laundry out to dry rather than using the dryer, and should you happen to see a decent bike for an equally decent price maybe it's time to just fork over the cash and hop on. Been meaning to stop at that local farmers' market for some locally-sourced produce on the way to the big-box supermarket? No time like the present. Better yet, go on that sweet new bike of yours.
