Planning the new year

Towards the end of the year I always find myself in a reflective and planning mood. I think these sorts of queries are my thing all year round, but especially so during December. So when I ran into this list of questions, I knew I wanted to give them a shot, maybe if this sort of thing appeals to you, you can play along, too. if you do make sure to link me up in the comments so I can read your answers too:

1. One habit I’m going to build.
There are a lot of items on this list, as there always are, but the first item that came to my mind was water. I want to drink more water. I did really well with this during the Whole Life Challenge but since I’ve been off it, it’s been more tea and less water. Nothing wrong with tea, but I still want to make sure I drink more water. So it’s a habit I want to build. Also on the list: meditation, journaling, sketching, and more 🙂

2. One habit I’m going to break.
This is sort of related, to the first one. I’d like to break the habit of mindless eating. I’d like to be more mindful, slower, and more aware of what I eat. I also would like to yell less.

3. One person I’m going to forgive.
Number one on this list is always me. The person I need to forgive more often than anyone else is always me. I tend to be quite generous and willing to forgive others. Myself: not as much. So as the year comes to a close, I think it’s a good time to put everything from this year to rest and allow myself to start over.

4. One person I’m going to befriend or reconnect with.
Oh man, a lot of names on this list. I’m not good about keeping in touch with people who mean a lot to me. Good friends from college. From previous jobs. From my previous lives in my twenties, teens, or even thirties. I do not make enough room to stay better in touch with people. And yet, I love these people. They truly mean the world to me. So, as with all things that work for me, I need to make a plan on how to be better at this.

5. One person I’m going to spend more time with.
Jake and the boys. I just feel like I never spend as much time with them as I would like. I want more. I want to be more purposeful about what we do with the time, too. More time doing family activities. More time studying with David. More time exploring creativity with both. More time being mindful of our lives so we can appreciate them so much more.

6. One way I’m going to strengthen my personal relationship.
By doing better at keeping in touch. By reaching out to more people and working to connect on a more personal level. By putting myself out there more. By going outside my comfort zone. By thanking people for the gifts they bring into my life. But mostly, by being brave and showing up.

7. One thing I’m going to create.
A regular routine of sketching. A way to document my life. I really want this. I am hoping 2015 is my year to make it a reality.

8. One negative belief I’m going to drop.
That I don’t belong. I know for a fact that we have to own our own belonging. It’s not something bestowed upon us by others. So I need to own mine. I need to step into belonging. And abundance. I want to drop the belief of scarcity.

9. One positive belief I’m going to reinforce.
Abundance. There’s plenty to go around. Things are going to work out. I have enough. I am enough. My kids will be ok. Life is going to turn out okay. I want to believe in the power of all that. More on some of this in the next few weeks but I want to feel a surge of abundance everywhere in my life.

10. One unhealthy food I’m going to stop eating.
I want to stop eating everything that I eat that I don’t like the taste of. More than half the time, the food I eat doesn’t taste good to me. It just tastes average or doesn’t even have a taste that’s meaningful to me but I still make the choice to eat it. I want to stop this.

11. One healthy food I’m going to start eating.
Well, besides the water I mentioned above, I think the biggest change I’d like to implement here is to add a vegetable to each meal. Including breakfast. I want to think about how to make that possible. Every single day, for all meals.

12. One book I’m going to read.
Well this is a crazy question for me. I am going to read a plethora of books. The list is long and varied and makes me happy. I will continue to read voraciously in 2015 because it is the single biggest thing that never, ever fails to make me happy. I will also continue to listen to books in audio because it also makes me happy.

13. One new place I’m going to visit.
Hmm, I just went to Zurich does that count? I almost feel like it should 🙂 Well other than that, it’s possible I will get to visit Seattle. I’ve been there once but quite briefly. I don’t think many other new places are on my list, maybe I should think about this one some more.

14. One adventure I’m going to go on.
Well, I just started my adventure with work. This is a big adventure for me, learning a brand new job even if it’s inside the same company. I am also planning a pretty big party as a volunteer job in my kids’ school that feels like an adventure to me. Maybe these are not adventurous to others but they count for me. I am sure more will come up as the year unfolds. I suppose I should think more about what adventure means to me. 2015 is also the year when my son will be applying to middle school and I am told it’s going to be an adventure getting through the application process.

15. One hobby I’m going to try.
I am going to try carving stamps this year. More on this later in the month as it’s one of my weekly projects for 2015. Something new to me.

16. One personal development goal I’m going to achieve.
Hmmm….I had to actually google this to see what the question meant. I already do a lot in this area but the one thing I thought about this week is to get better about blocking out my week. Not just planning my todos but actually assigning them to blocks of time on my week so that I know when they will get done. I saw this in Cal Newport’s blog and I love this idea and I want to explore it. On a personal level, I want to get much much better at taking care of my body. My teeth, my skin, etc. I want to look nicer because I know it helps me feel better.

17. One fitness goal I’m going to achieve.
About two weeks ago, I found a 20-minute exercise set on pinterest. It’s running with elevation. It’s nothing for people who run/exercise regularly but it’s tough for me. I want to do this every other day and then also add the 7-minute exercise on the alternating days. I still want to make sure I take 10,000 steps daily as well. I want to feel strong and fit.

18. One new food I’m going to try.
Kale. Or even just all of the greens. I want to experiment more here and see what I like. See if there are any vegetables, raw food, that I can prepare quickly and still enjoy eating.

19. One fear I’m going to overcome.
That it’s all going to disappear. That I am not worthy. That I will lose my job. That people will leave. That something will happen to my family. Or to me. A lot of these might be irrational or they might happen but fearing them is not preparing me better for it. It’s just making me sad and worried and anxious.

20. One risk I’m going to take.
I plan to take many risks in 2015. Big and small. One I am considering right now is heading up the parent association which seems like nothing but it would be a big deal for me. I took a big risk at work already. Maybe I can take more risks, too. I have think on this one.

21. One thing I’m going to throw out.
I hope to go through my closet and throw out a lot of what I never wear. I also wish I could do something similar for my scrapbooking supplies. I have way too much of it and would feel considerably better if I could pare down my space. I’ve found I like the peace emptiness brings.

22. One thing I’m going to save for and purchase.
Nothing on this list. I am blessed and grateful to have all I need. I am sure I’ll want things throughout 2015 but I will try to remember that I don’t actually “need” any more “stuff.”

23. One way I’m going to make more money.
This, too, thankfully is not a main issue for me. What I would like to do around this, however, is think about my coaching practice, my scrapping, and any other jobs I have outside of my one job to see how I would like to structure them. How much time do I want to spend on each. What joy they bring to my life, what do they take away, etc. I want to be more mindful about what I choose to spend my time on and what I don’t get to do because of that choice.

24. One expense I’m cutting out.
Starbucks! I want to be 100% done with Starbucks. Forever, if at all possible.

25. One way I’m going to stop wasting time.
Hmmm. I’d say less TV or less idle surfing but I do both of those things when I am tired or avoiding some real work. So what I’d like to do less is avoid things. I want to get better at just getting it done. I would not mind spending a little less time on Pinterest….

26. One skill I’m going to learn.
Sketching. It’s going to happen.

27. One class I’m going to take or workshop I’m going to attend.
I am taking several sketching classes now and scheduled for early January. I am sure I will take more.

28. One way I’m going to make myself indispensable at work.
Is by being so good. So on top of things. So organized. Willing to do whatever it takes and not whining about the work but just getting it done. Being good at being self-reliant. Creating a great connection with each of the people on my team. Those are my goals.

29. One thing I will no longer tolerate.
Making myself feel small. Apologizing for who I am. Feeling less than. I do all of these now. I will not allow myself to treat me this way any more. Nor anyone else. No sarcasm. No “jokes” that are cruel.

30. One way I’m going to keep my energy high.
Is by eating whole foods. Exercising. Getting a lot of sleep. Being endlessly curious about what I do. Listening passionately.

31. One way I’m going to relax and de-stress.
Reading. Doing art. I will try to meditate possibly. Curling up on the couch with my boys.

32. One way I’m going to get better sleep.
Going to bed early. 30 minutes before I plan to fall asleep. Having no caffeine and a light dinner. Eating more whole in general. Keeping a consistent schedule as much as I can.

33. One way I’m going to have more fun.
Making a list of things I love to do. Things that are fun and outside my comfort zone. I want to laugh more. For no reason even.

34. One small way in which I’m going to make the world a better place.
Smiling a lot. I want to be the kindest person I can be to anyone I come across. I want to always smile. I want to say only the nicest words I can think of. I don’t want to contribute to gossip or sarcasm or perpetuate anything that’s not lifting others up.

35. One bucket list item I’m crossing off.
So I don’t have a bucket list, but I do have a life list and I wouldn’t mind tackling one or two of these.

36. One way I’m going to follow my bliss.
Is to check in with my core desired feelings regularly. I have made a new list for 2015 and I love it. I plan to make it a daily practice to check in with myself on how I’ve felt that day. I want to remind myself in the morning that these are my desired feelings, and then check in halfway through the day to ensure I am feeling them and if not change course so that by the end of the day, I feel good about how I lived my day.

And there we go. Some thoughts for 2015. I enjoyed this list and if you do it, I’d love to see yours.

2 comments to Planning the new year

  • Cheryl

    I started my 2015 bucket list. Reading yours triggered some thoughts…if you can’t do veggies for breakfast, try whole fruit…an apple, grapefruit, berries.

    Being head of David’s parent association…I was coerced into this position when I didn’t have the time for it. I was told that I could work with five people and these people were “presented” to me. It was the greatest, greatest year, Karen. The six of us laughed, we cried, we sang in the car as we went shopping. It was absolutely an amazing year. Six women worked together as a team, without whining or PMS issues and we raised over $40,000 for “the little school on the hill” and when the Headmaster cut the ribbon to the new playground that the six of us had paid to build, a box of tissues wasn’t enough. Think hard on it. It’s a lot of work. It’s extremely tiring yet it has to be one of the finest moments in my biography.

  • Christine

    #25. I am floating along with you in that boat. Thanks for sharing your list and the link. They have both been very timely for me and recent thoughts/reflections. As always, you’ve got me thinking.

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