Navdeep Singh Dhillon: An Unintentional New Father

Every year I make vague and overarching resolutions – “exercise more,” “write more”- and end up getting bugger-all done. Last year was no exception, although I did get one solid thing accomplished that I’d like to say was on my list of resolutions, but I’m not that organized: becoming a dad. With the same stroke of luck, my wife also became a mum (it wasn’t on her list of things to do in 2010 either).

So this has been a very special year for me watching our daughter, Kavya, grow from bhurkanvaalee (Punjabi word loosely translating to “something that jumps”) to  a living, breathing, mostly sleeping entity, and now a very real little person with a rebellious personality who genuinely laughs when anyone tries to exert their authority. Sternly saying, “No,” to anything she’s doing (eating tissue, pulling wires, beating us, results in hilarious belly laughs from her.

We have quickly realized that being parents means we have to be much more organized with everything.

Not only for daily things like eating, and shopping for clothes and baby food, but scheduling time for ourselves too. Before Kavya, I could take a leisurely approach to my writing, where anytime I wasn’t at work was my time. Now “my time” has become Kavya time, which I wouldn’t trade for anything, and I love the time we spend together, but I need to make better use of my time so I can get that novel I’ve been working on out and onto paper.

So this year, instead of vague and unaccountable goals, I’ve decided to pick ten very specific things to accomplish this year, as well as have a monthly target that I’ll update on my blog. Here are my ten:

1.  Write at minimum 500 words three days a week. Failure to adhere to this rule will result in  . . . self beating? Okay, maybe not that drastic. I’ll think of something else . . . loss of leisure reading time/ photographic walks? That’s a bit saner.  Right?

2. Set aside two hours a day to read anything I like. In my recliner with NO distractions (no telly, no ipod, and definitely no internet).

3. Once a week, while Kavya’s at daycare, I resolve to go to the library or a bookshop with Sona for at least two hours. To write, to read, or to chat about writing.

4. On a Saturday or a Sunday, I resolve to go on a family date with Sona and Kavya: a picnic in the park, taking Kavya to the kids bookstore, “Books of Wonder,” or out to  eat somewhere in Jersey City or Manhattan.

5. Go for short walks on Wednesday mornings before my 9am literature course at SVA (!) in an interesting area of New York with the express purpose of taking photographs. No matter how cold it is (!!).

6. Keep a writing journal and update it every night before going to bed.

7.  Must go to the gym at least 3 days a week. Must.

8. Start pitching travel stories. Goal: get one feature travel story published this year.

9. Go on two road trips. One on the East Coast and one on the West Coast.

10. Tidy up and make functional IshqInABackpack.com (travel blog), BabyInABackpack.com (parenting and travel blog).