A Fresh Start

It's a new year; a time for planning, hoping, and maybe a little strategizing. At the end of the year we don't just pack away the holiday decorations to make the room look clear and organized again, we also put up a fresh calendar. We like starting with a clean slate; at least I do. New year ... new hopes ... new ideas ... new plans of attack on how to hopefully accomplish them.

We all have our share of challenges, anxieties, pressures, and responsibilities. Many of us will probably look back at 2019 and think, 'Wow! How did I get through that?' But guess what? If you're reading this, then you did. Don't be so surprised; you're stronger than you give yourself credit for. I know that 2019 was pretty rough for a lot of people; illnesses, finances, relationships ... you name it and I probably know someone who's been dealing with it (or for that fact, still is).

The thing is is that the challenges and the pressures won't always change or go away or even get temporarily resolved, but HOW we choose to deal with them can. We can decide to not let 'it' consume us, whatever IT is. We have the choice to make a change or take a different approach. We get to start fresh if we want to. Every month or every day if necessary.

Who doesn't like the occasional fresh start?

• a new house
• a new job
• an improved body or mindset
• a new haircut
• a new hobby
• a new challenge
• a new goal

Pick the one that speaks to you and choose to start fresh. Start small and test the waters or be bold and jump in with both feet and arms flailing. What have you got to lose? Absolutely nothing.

How am I starting fresh this year? I'm trying to be more diligent with my blogging. I hope somewhere, someday someone reads one of my posts and is impacted and shares it or shares a positive comment. But if they don't that's okay too. I'm blogging for myself and some days that's more than enough. It's my voice, my thoughts, and I can actually hear myself think as I type. That's worth it in itself.

What does your fresh start look like?

Are You Ready For 2020?

First, let me re-introduce myself. My name is Jennifer and I haven't written a blog post in more than a month. Why? Because LIFE took over. There was a fractured bone in my right arm at my wrist joint which resulted in 6 weeks in a brace (and yes I am right handed). There's been 5 weeks of PT twice a week. There was 4 weeks of Advent preparation at the church where I work (my full time day job). There was a lot of prepping for Christmas (writing out cards, shopping, wrapping, cleaning my house, and prepping for a Christmas holiday hosting my kids and three granddaughters). Needless to say, it didn't leave much time left over for me or my blogging.

Today is a new day. Christmas Day has come and gone. Presents were unwrapped. Meals were prepped and eaten. Conversations and laughter abounded. Memories were made. Now it is December 28th. I am sitting on my cozy couch with my laptop and watching the Survivor Finale on TV that I missed prior to Christmas. I think my husband and I were hosting our small group dinner at our house the night the finale was on. Better late than never - although I did sneak a peek on social media a week ago and already know who won (oops). But that's okay - sometimes it's not so much about the end result, but more about the experience and what took you to the end.

2019 had a lot of ups and downs for a lot of people that I know. There have been health concerns for many, relationship issues, job insecurities, and enough layers of stress to fill an offsite storage container to the brim (isn't that where many people stash either their unwanted stuff or the stuff they can't find time to deal with?). There have been positives as well though; a beautiful third granddaughter in my family, answers to questions and doubts that have been haunting friends for months, and for some a certain degree of growing clarity that should help propel them into a positive 2020.

New Year's Day is only a few days away; a time when many people will start throwing out resolutions and goals for the upcoming new year. But first, it's a time for reflection. What did your 2019 look like? Was it everything you thought it would be? Did you accomplish everything you pushed for? Did you set yourself up to continue your efforts in 2020 and finish what you may have started?

If you had to sum up your dreams, your hopes, and your aspirations for the new year in just one word, what would that one word be? What word will keep you focused and driven for the next twelve months? My word is going to be BALANCE; something I tend to lack from time to time (and not just when I am in my Zumba class and stumble and fall on my wrist, leaving myself with a directive to slow down). I am truly seeking that sense of balance in my own life; a balance where I can separate my work, my hobbies, my friends, and my home life. There will always be times when all the elements of our lives intertwine. But if you find yourself staying awake most nights dwelling and overthinking different aspects of your life, you will come to the realization that you are off balance in some way. Trust me, I don't need to fall again (physically or metaphorically), so for me 2020 is about finding the BALANCE that works best for me. It will be about re-determining what my priorities are and what parts of my life have been on hold on the shelf for way too long and need some attention.

I'd love to know where you are at. 

What is your ONE WORD for 2020?

Out With The Old

Tomorrow is the last day of 2018. It feels like it is time to write the obligatory New Year's Eve blog post; something about whether or not to make a resolution or set a goal. Truth be told; I'm just not feeling it this year. Don't get me wrong; I like to set goals for myself, I just don't like the added pressure of setting my calendar to it for January 1st. Our lives aren't that good at sticking to timetables; at least mine isn't.

I tend to spend my New Year's holidays reflecting on what was successful for me during the last 12 months and what needs some work. Some years the list is pretty lopsided, some good some not so much. For me 2018 had many blessings; another year of good health, two healthy granddaughters who make me laugh, a wonderful and supportive family, and a very productive summer of heavy labor redoing our backyard landscaping. Like a lot of people I know, 2018 also brought with it some changes and some unwanted stresses. I guess that puts a lot of us in the same boat.

So what does that mean for 2019? Great question, I think. For me and others that I know, we are in a place where we're trying to accept and understand some of the changes that we've been facing. We're trying our best to gain some clarity to see if we merely need to concede and accept the changes we're being handed or if we still have a voice in what we want to see happen. Some will say that we always have a choice and in some situations that may be true, but not all the time. Some times the changes are going to happen with or without us. Some times the best we can hope to achieve is to decide if the changes work for us or whether it's time we go in a different direction and charter our own course.

No two people's situations will be the same, which means no two plan of attacks will be the same. What works for some may not work for others. That's where the clarity comes in; being able to look at our own lives and decide what we are looking for and what fits best is obviously very personal (as it should be). We need to take ownership of our own choices; whether they seem logical or make sense to anyone else really doesn't matter.

New Year's Eve is tomorrow and whether or not you choose to set a goal of losing 10# in 2019 or work more on a personal relationship - the choices are all yours. You get to decide. You get to take ownership of your own future. You get to decide what makes you happy or what doesn't.

Do you make New Year's resolutions? Do they work for you?

Do you prefer to reflect on where you've been and where you want to go?

Regardless, 2018 is drawing to a close tomorrow and a new year is on our horizon. I guess, if nothing else, it's fair to say, 'OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW.'

Happy New Year!