Tag: New Year

A Yearly Year-End Annual Review: Things I Did In 2018

Okay, let’s try to keep this short and sweet, because it’s about to be 2019 and I will have things to do in 2019.

This is a summary, so forgive me if I leave out a few details. Currently, a full transcript of Things I Did In 2018 is unavailable. (2018 isn’t completely over yet anyway. Duh.)

Things I Did In 2018:

  1. I stopped automatically writing 2017 on all paperwork, documents, and checks sometime around my birthday. In February.
  2. I moved east of the Mississippi River. I began to understand and appreciate the value of playing Tetris for hours at a time during my formative years once I had to downsize. (Come over sometime and take a look at my closets. I tried not to hum Russian music faster and faster as the piles of boxes climbed up the walls when I was unpacking.)

    This is the river. I live somewhere to the right of it. And, yes, I sell prints of this photo here.
  3. I took more photos. That’s what photographers do.
  4. I wrote more stuff. That’s what writers do.
  5. I wrote lists. That’s what really meticulous people do.
  6. I left grocery stores with a lot more than what was originally on those lists. That’s what hungry shoppers will do.
  7. I decided not to make any resolutions for 2019. That’s mainly for self-esteem purposes, because it’s a little bit demoralizing to find yourself cancelling a gym membership on January 3.
  8. I didn’t win the lottery, but I don’t know anyone who did, so that’s not really a big deal.
  9. I stopped watching as much television. I don’t really feel any smarter, but I don’t feel as though I’ve missed out on much, either.

I probably left out a few things, like what I had for breakfast on April 12 or how long I waited on my last oil change, but I’m working on brevity in my writing since we live in a 140-characters-or-less kind of world these days.

Happy New Year!

A Cup O’ Kindness: Looking Ahead

Well, we’ve made it to that time of year in which you’re supposed to reflect on the past twelve months while simultaneously setting yourself up for failure over the next twelve.

(That’s not too negative, is it?)

If I stop to consider personal history, the first few weeks of the new year are usually marked by bitterly cold weather, some kind of sniffles, and at least one major disappointment. So, yeah…I suppose it seems a bit negative when you tend to start out a year that way.

However, what if–just follow me for a minute here–instead of viewing the upcoming year as a huge chunk of disaster waiting to happen, we just lived it day by day?

Think about it.

Yeah, I suppose this is what planning out a whole year can look like if you try to think about it all at once.

I’m not saying no one should set goals or plan ahead…far from it. In fact, I’m the last person on earth who would suggest that not developing some kind of game plan is a good thing.

confused math GIF by CBC
I’m a planner. But…math? Really?

I just know I won’t wake up tomorrow feeling as though some kind of magical change will take place simply because I have to start remembering to write “2018” on all of my documents.

So, I’d like to approach January 1, 2018 as…Monday.

tired andy griffith GIF by TV Land Classic
Okay, so maybe treating it like a regular Monday is a bad idea. I don’t have to work on New Year’s Day, so perhaps I’ll relax a bit.

I think you get the idea. If I look back at 2017 as a whole, making a generalization about the entire year isn’t going to be accurate. If I pick out specific dates, times, locations, situations…I can get very accurate.

I think I’ll follow the 2018 road day by day…with a map handy (for guidance, of course).

And what is on that map?

Be authentic. Be genuine. Be sincere.

Read. Write. Take photos.

Work. Work. Sleep (occasionally).

Plan another trip. I drove myself across a big chunk of real estate this year, and there’s still more to see.

And knit something…to get through the bitter cold.

Happy New Ye…umm, Happy Monday, everyone!