I have to say I lost my way a bit in 2012. I got a new job, but then I wasn't sure where I was going and what I wanted out of life. I'm still figuring it out, and to help me with that I did a bit of a traditional new year resolution exercise to help me think it through. I wanted to post some of what I came up with so I could be accountable for it.
I used a modified version of Lara Casey's "Making Things Happen in 2013" that I saw Em using (http://www.emformarvelous.com/). I didn't have it in me to go through all the steps, but I used Lara's guidance as a way to channel some of what I had mixing around in my head.
I used this for my personal and professional life, but I am only going to share my personal ones here (and I have edited out some of the more personal items).
What worked in 2012?
- Spending time at night talking to Derek about our days and things that matter
- Running outdoors in the woods more often to enjoy nature
- Biking more often, and biking to work
- Seeing family more often and taking care of family needs
- Blogging and crafting to show myself that I can create things that are of value to me and others
- Spending more time with Emmy (http://blogstarpinsandwins.blogspot.com/)
- Taking baths and reading for relaxation time
- Cuddling and enjoying time with Luna (our cat)
- Having Martha (my aunt) visit and stay with us
- Gardening to have our own fresh veggies
- Decorating the house further (craft room, bedroom, living room, wall art)
- Trying new cooking and baking recipes. Becoming more exploratory in the kitchen.
- Writing down a meal plan for the week so I can have things ready for good dinners each night. This also allowed pre-planned "date nights" out.
- Hosting Thanksgiving for our families
- Motorcycle rides with Derek
- Our Acadia trip with Lauren and Jorge was a nice break and a good way to spend time with close friends
- A shared calendar with Derek made our scheduling easier to communicate and discuss
- Shopping online for good deals more often - being more discerning about the clothes I buy to find ones I will keep for longer
- Vacation to New Jersey with Derek was nice. Drivable location, new place to discover, and enjoyable time together.
- Continuing to participate in and host book clubs to spend some quality time with girls
What didn't work in 2012?
- Stopped blogging mid-year. Wasn't getting much response on the blog and wasn't sure anyone was reading it, and I lost motivation.
- Lost my way as I started a new job. Wasn't sure what I wanted out of life and my future.
- Tried weight loss twice during the year. Lost 10- 15 lbs each time, and then fell off the wagon and gained it back.
- Spent too much time in front of the TV or computer (doing things that did not further me in any way)
- Didn't spend enough time with close friends
- Relied too much on my husband to come up with things for us to do, hobbies, or projects. I did not contribute back my half.
- Didn't travel as much as I would have liked
- Really fell into a candy/junk food trap - really treated these as if I was addicted
- Didn't schedule and do a long weekend motorcycle trip as we had planned
- Not stopping to listen to Derek because I was too worried about getting something that didn't matter done
What fires me up?
- Creating things that make me smile and I want to share with the world
- Spending quality time with my husband doing something different that pulls us out of our daily humdrum
- Learning and trying new recipes that we can add to our regular menu lists
- Spending time with friends
- Spending time outdoors doing some form of exercise
- Traveling to see new places and experience new things
- Keeping a clean and beautiful home
What is my vision?
I want to become better at spending my time doing things that matter to me. I fell into a patter of just letting life happen to me rather than doing things I think are important. I need to be a better listener, and slow down to do so. I want to apply my creativity to come up with things that would be new and adventurous for myself or both my husband and I. I will research things deeper in my free time and apply myself to goals I set rather than wasting time watching TV or playing games that do not further my intellectual or spiritual goals.
What will I do in the next 6 months to head towards this vision?
- I will return to blogging as a way to track my work on being more effective with my time
- I will investigate and try at least 5 new "hobbies" either alone or with Derek
- I will stop what I am doing and listen when Derek talks to me
- I will find a charity or group that I can be part of to help in a cause greater than us
- I will focus on spending time I was wasting on better preparing food that will help me maintain a healthy lifestyle
Cat,
ReplyDeleteI love it that you've shared this. It helps me better understand what's going on with you -- to know what's important to you and what you're struggling with. I am also glad to know that my visit with you was one of the things that worked in 2012. I agree and hope we can do more of it in 2013. xxoox
That for commenting Mert! Glad it helped you see into what I am thinking ;)
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