Resolutions
Each January we start the new year with goals. Some ambitious, others less so. The most popular resolutions going into 2018 were 1) get healthier, 2) enjoy life to the fullest and 3) spend less, save more. But in resolutions’ 4,000-year history, I am curious how many have actually been fully satisfied.
The act of declaring resolutions came from the Babylonians who promised to the gods to pay back their debts and return items they borrowed. Later the Romans picked up the practice by offering sacrifices to the deity and making promises of good conduct for the coming year. Thinking about past mistakes and resolving to do and be better in the future was the approach for early Christians.
We all want to do better and be better at something. The new year brings a good reason to start something fresh, or improve in some way. So yes, working out in January does suck. It’s over crowded, your favorite bike is taken and there is no room for your yoga mat, but give a little credit to the people who are trying to improve themselves. And remember, that was you at some point.
You took someone’s favorite bike at one point. And instead of shoving someone’s mat over, ask them to scooch a bit, then offer a tip on how you’ve best been able to melt into your favorite pose.
We want to thank each and every one of you who understand the Tulerie mission. Rewearing and sharing clothes has such an incredible environment impact, and as our community grows that positive reaction will only become greater. Same is true for the shipping boxes that get reused. You are saving countless trees. Thank you.
We have shared our top three personal resolutions below — feel free to harp on us and ask if we’re keeping up with them. The added encouragement (or reminder in many cases) would be appreciated.
While you’re at it, share your resolutions with your friends and encourage them to share back. Then do a quarterly check in to hold each other accountable. And don’t forget to channel your inner Babylonian and return your borrowed pieces on time.
Happy New Year Ladies!
Violet’s Resolutions
Living in the moment. Never has that felt more important than with a new daughter who seems to change from day to day. Each time I find myself checking emails rather than watching her explore, I realize that I am missing the most precious moments. This time with her and all of her innocence is going to go by so quickly, that I now leave my phone in a different room when I am with her and will continue to do so in the new year.
Discontinue plastic use. I have been aware of the damage of plastic for so many years, and not only to the environment as we’ve mentioned, but also to the body. It’s been something I’ve always thought about doing – one of those resolutions that you make but forget about before MLK Day. But this year, it’s a mission. I was flying home with my daughter not long ago and rather than dumping the water from her sippy cup into the trash, I gave her a final gulp, then I chugged the rest. And instantly regret it. The water, even though freshly poured an hour before, tasted so badly of plastic. It was at that moment that I realized how quickly plastic can be absorbed into the body. As soon we got home, that cup went into the trash, and she now uses a silicone wrapped glass bottle.
Waste less. My sister and I have talked more about this in the last 6 months than in our entire lifetimes combined. My household has already switched to reuseable water bottles, straws and grocery bags, but that barely scratches the surface. And don’t even get me started on food waste. The average American wastes up to 250 pounds of food per year. Ever think about how much money was wasted in that as well? And think about all of the carbon emissions one would save my consciously wasting less. If you haven’t heard, Mother Earth is in serious trouble. Help save her for future generations.
Merri’s Resolutions
We’ve always been honest about the fact that Tulerie lead us into the sustainability movement. Yes, we recycled our take-out and we were mindful about certain environmental impacts but shopping at Zara for a cheap wardrobe update was the norm and not a behavior we bundled in with environmental un-friendly. It didn’t take much time or research to realize that not only did Tulerie serve our fashion needs it was solving a critical problem of under-utilization within the throw away culture. In 2018 I did not shop at a single fast fashion store which was more liberating then it should be which proves what a problem it had become (at least in my life). Taking fast fashion out of the equation made shopping so much easier. I no longer filled my closet with generic looking clothes that I lusted for in the moment and luke-warm about AT BEST by the time I got it home. Now, I shop for only things I love which means I buy a lot less. And thanks to Tulerie, I can share them and earn back some of the investment. I resolve to continue my no fast fashion rule in 2019 which ultimately means buying less and sharing more!
My next resolution is to read more books, earth-shattering, right? I spend most of my downtime doing something productive, I read articles and newsletters daily, and listen to five or six podcasts a week. I’m not lacking the mental stimulation that books provide I just simply miss the journey of a good book. I still buy books at the pace I used to read them so I’ve accumulated a nice stack of unread paperbacks in 2018 that are resentfully staring me down. Aside from the enjoyment reading brings, I could benefit from not having my phone in my hand or headphones in my ears for a hot second, so this is a two-for-the-price-of-one resolution.
My last resolution is to give my time away to the people who matter most. I’m a very social person which can mean spreading myself thin with social obligations. In my 20’s this was fun and I sold it to myself as critical networking opportunities. Living in a city like New York requires more judgement here because it provides endless loose connections and the older I get (ahem, wiser) the more I saw this as taking away time from people who deserve it more. I resolve to be more mindful of how I allocate my time in 2019 and tip the scale towards the most important people in my life.