Life gets pretty boring if every day is the same. Setting new goals every January re-invigorates me and gives me something new to think about. Even though COVID has us jumping through hoops, we can at least try to improve the way things are going. I know others poo-poo the idea of New Year’s resolutions, but what does it hurt? What have I got to lose in re-evaluating the way I’m living? After all, circumstances change year to year and attitude adjustments are necessary. This is one of my favorite quotes, “When you know better, you do better!” [On change: resistance is futile!]
Of course the pandemic is keeping us all on edge, and it’s hard to be optimistic with bad news constantly on the front page. Taking it all to heart gets me cranky, pessimistic and depressed and feels a lot like banging my head on the wall. Wringing hands everyday keeps adrenaline running rampant, and I value my health too much to subject my body to that.
It really feels good to make things better even if it’s something small, and the only thing I have control over, really, is my own little bubble. In the end, it really is the only thing we have the ability to change. But I’m lucky, the Mister is easy to please.
Taking action on New’s Year’s Resolutions is, literally, the hardest part!
My four goals for 2022:
♣ Bring more laughter into my life. The images here are from my favorite greeting card company, Pondering Pool. The framed one is a larger print hanging on the wall as a permanent reminder.
♣ Try to stay on the positive side. This means having morning coffee with NO news and NO complaining. The sky is likely NOT falling, Chicken Little! It’s hard not to talk about it when life gives you lemons, but you can always talk about it later. If I zip my lip til later, sometimes I forget what was bothering me so much before. It doesn’t mean sticking my head in the sand, but starting the day off in a positive frame of mind does help the day go smoother.
♣ Follow my own instincts more and trust that I may actually be right sometimes. My habit of constantly deferring to others is getting on my nerves. Geez, I must be right some of time.
♣ The big one: Simplify my life and my cluttered mind. I started doing this seriously a couple years ago, and I’m surprised by how long it takes to finish the job. I always thought I was the kind of person who embraces change, but clinging to possessions, ideas and old habits has been an uphill battle.
Since the holidays, I’ve been Kondo-ing my house. The first book I downloaded on my new Kindle was Marie Kondo’s “Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up”. Her methods are pretty extreme, even for me —empty your purse every night, roll up each pair of socks and store on end, save NO paper — but her intent is solid! I’ve already felt the kind of relief she talks about whenever I’ve organized a cluttered space and gotten rid of half of it. It’s so much easier to find stuff without extra stuff in the way. Think junk drawer!
Marie is Japanese so her extreme method comes from her culture, where life is not all about “bigger is better”. (The average home size in Japan is 1300 sq ft) As Americans, we’ve been brought up with the idea that more is better. We love our stuff! You just have to keep the cultural difference in mind as you read and just follow the spirit of what she says. Look at everything you and your family have and release what is no longer needed or desired. What you end up with is a house full of what makes you happy and what’s absolutely necessary for your family to function. The word “simple” has a very nice ring to it.
Organizing has always been my thing, but even I once hired someone to organize a small kitchen so it wouldn’t be as frustrating to work in. I still remember the relief and have hopes that filling my entire home with things that make my husband and I feel good will transform it into the sanctuary it’s supposed to be. Even though I live with someone who is a diehard collector, he seems content to let me do my thing… INSIDE the house, that is.