I'm really not one to make resolutions, mostly because I feel I can't stick to them. But now my life has slowed to a pace that warrants a plan, or at the very least deserves one.
The year end cleaning frenzy has gotten me thinking that I really ought to use the stuff I have. Including the stuff I already made. That is why I got this quilt out of the drawer and onto my bed. Perhaps using this will make me want to make more, which I certainly don't need, but I do have all this fabric, so why not have a different quilt for every month, or something like that. I hate to commit.
It came up at knitting that if I knit up all the yarn I have, I could have a different garment for every day of the year. Think about that for a moment. Arghhh.
What it really says is, the famously repeated, Enough is Enough.
Add to that line of thought that I just had a birthday. It made me think about how long I have, and to figure out what I want to do with that time. If I am healthy, perhaps I have another good 20 years, which would bring me to 84. My mom, a smoker, died at 81, so it would be reasonable to assume I could outlast her three or more years... geesh. Well, anyway, I think I don't want to just go along the path of least resistance and come to the end and say
"If only I had realized time runs out, I might have done X with my life". Are we talking about a bucket list? Not quite. Something more of making small changes to what I already do, but with a focus on it adding up to something worthy.
I mentioned being healthy which is definitely an area I want to focus on improving. My baking binge has made me feel like a blob, and that has to stop. And lately, you won't believe this, but my beloved wine has been giving me heartburn and so I have more or less avoided it. To my surprise, I sleep better now. Having an apple or pear every day has greatly improved my digestion, so I will consciously keep fresh fruit in my routine. Part of my plan is to record my eating intake on a separate blog, which would be a drag to any reader but will be my gauge to find improvement.
Routines make me happier and I love knowing that I have a weekly day in town. So if I build in other routines that will increase my happiness and perhaps my creative output too. Looking at the calendar, I know there will be chunks of time devoted to gardening, knitting, quilting, reading and maybe painting. What if I had a goal for each of these endeavors?
I am very tempted to come up with a number of finished objects per month, but then that would infringe on my other goal for the new year, which is NO STRESS AND NO DREAD.
My friend Judy asked me how I could avoid those two items and I replied that I must say no to things that will induce them. I am already getting better at this, by not putting quantifiers on my goals.
So it will be little changes for me for 2012.
Eat healthier.
Use up the stash I have accumulated.
Wear the knits and use quilts I have made already. (easiest one of the list.)
Find a routine ( like daily blogging) that includes housework. I'm thinking like Monday for laundry, Tuesday for bathrooms, Thursday for sweeping, stuff like that.
On Pinterest I saw this great list for decluttering which uses 30 bags in 30 days. I could find 30 bags of useless stuff to remove in a heartbeat.
OK I am ready, and committed to a more focused purposeful life for 2012.
