It’s a new year. For some, it’s “the annual do-over”. But for me, it’s a time to raise the bar. I always start a bit nostalgic - reflecting on my accomplishments and challenges from the year before - and then focusing on the opportunities for growth and opportunity. This year, I’m raising the bar when it comes to green year’s resolutions. Most notably, my husband and I have decided to sell one of our cars in an effort to cut cost and more importantly cut down on our carbon footprint. We have vowed to walk, bike, carpool and take public transportation as often as possible. At this point, we’re a month into our commitment and boy has it been a challenge!
As you can probably imagine, the biggest challenge of transitioning from two cars to one is coordination and moving from "convenience to necessity"! And let's face it - while I primarily work from home, I frequently meet with clients, volunteer at the school as well as with the Children's theatre, and shop for the family. So, having a car is something that does make my life easier. That said, I'm learning to be more strategic in scheduling as well as "staying local". For example, on Friday, I had to go to the grocery store, make a bank deposit, volunteer at my son's school, take back a school open house sign and meet someone. So, I suggested to the person I was meeting that we meet at my local coffee shop, which happens to be convenient for him too. I walked to meet him, then walked to the grocery store (thankfully no big or perishable purchases on this particular trip), then walked to the bank to make a deposit, and then walked over to my son's school to volunteer and return the sign. Admittedly my hands were rather full walking those 2-3 miles but nothing unreasonable. In fact, on the way home, I picked up a couple of pieces of roadside litter.
You should know that "making time" for exercise has been an ongoing challenge for me since my children were born - that's almost 8 years. Now with walking and biking as part of my primary transportation mode, I'm feeling better about "making time" for exercise because it's now naturally part of my routine.
What green resolutions have you made?