Here’s the check-in for July. You can see the original goals for 2011 here.
Family
I have still been reading regularly to David and loving it so much. I’m still keeping up with weekly family shoots, daily diary, and gratitudes. We haven’t done so well on family night in July but we did take several full-day family trips and mini-vacations instead. Nathaniel and I are still in music class together but my attendance has been super-blotchy mostly because I really really do not like being there. Jake and I have done better on date nights for July and it’s been wonderful.
Health
Going strong on the running and walking. Did 3.12 miles a day every day in July and did 50 leg lifts and 20 crunches a day. The food has been so-so but I am planning on fixing that for August. Sleep’s been a consistent 7 hours or so. I’m getting up several times a night to make sure David goes to the bathroom but other than that I am enjoying the summer rule of not having to set the alarm. We’re also taking daily walks still and averaging more than 75,000 steps a week. So far, so good. The one area that I think needs more work is the food. That’s going to be my focus in August.
Art + Photography
Still Sketching daily every day, it’s been doing for a long time now, I am quite proud of myself for it. And also still doing weeklong art journaling. I still love this project. I have not grown bored of it one bit. I’ve continued with the daily art journaling in July and came up with a plan to continue it without the pressure of having to do it daily. No movement on photo excursions or etsy shop however.
Scrapbooking
July was also full of scrapbooking. Lots of projects for the show. Once I mailed off my projects, things have been quiet. I have a few commitments coming up in August, but otherwise, all is moving here. Steady and quiet.
Reading
Still reading my weekly book regularly. Reading to David, too. We didn’t have book club this month.
Writing
I seem to be neglecting the thoughts-posts. I still think about them all the time and also about classes but everything is on hold for now. I am just being quiet and resting. Newsletters are all the writing that I’ve been doing for now. And July was weak in journaling but towards the end of the month I picked it back up and it’s going full-force now.
Learning
July was the end of Soul Restoration 2 and I didn’t sign up for anything new until the very end of the month when I succumbed and bought 21 Secrets. I also signed up for Christy’s class which starts August 1. Nothing on the iPad front yet or the stop motion movie.
Community (This is a particularly hard one for me.)
Mom’s group was quiet this month but we did have quests over and I also had breakfast and went to the movies with a friend. I also went to work for lunch. This area is moving slowly but it is moving.
And that’s it for July. Overall, I think I did okay. Lots of good goals met. Let’s bring on August!
I thought it might be a good idea to review my goals at the end of each month and see if I am still making sure to prioritize them. I also thought this would be a good time to shift, adjust, add, take away as needed. So here we go. This is still going off the list I posted on January 1, minus the few I deleted in Feburary, with status updates for April.
Family
1. Read and do workbooks with David daily (Project A Book A Week with David).
All of April was our new Mystery series. It was fun for both of us and even though we’ve taken a break, I really enjoyed all four books we read in April.
2. Take photo of full-family and write updates weekly (Project Us Right Now).
Still going strong. This project still makes me so very happy. I am so thankful I decided to do it.
3. Write a daily diary of us + gratitude (Project Daily Diary)
Still keeping up with this as well.
4. Start a family night where we all play games or watch movies together (Scheduled for Sunday nights 6pm)
Family night is going strong. We need some new games but that’s in the plan for tomorrow. I love that it’s a little reserved time for all four of us together. We always prioritize it and look forward to it.
5. Sign up for a mommy/me class with Nathaniel (this still needs to be scheduled)
Something I dropped on the floor this year. I did find Nathaniel a music class for the summer so I will schedule it for us during then.
6. Schedule minimum bimonthly date nights with Jake
April had fewer date nights than usual but we’re still doing them and spending us time.
Health (Project Healthy For Life)
1. Do a combination of walking and running daily, work your way up to 5K a day
2.9 miles a day in April for a total of 87 miles. This month also marked 500 miles and 211 consecutive days of exercise.
3. Do strength exercises 3x a week
I am not doing strength but I have done 30 leg lifts (on each leg) and 10 crunches a day. Every day.
4. Track exercise+food+sleep+water using the fitbit
I am still tracking sleep and exercise. And paying strict attention to food. I’ve gotten better about the food planning too. Now that the summer is here, I stock a lot of fresh fruit and salads at home.
5. Get minimum 7hours of sleep every night and 8 on the weekends
A little less-good on this area. Not for lack of trying though. I am going to bed early but unable to fall asleep or stay asleep. Mostly due to stress. I have faith this will resolve itself and summer is coming soon and my wake up time will get a little later which makes a significant difference.
6. Eat at least one serving of vegetables daily and chicken/fish 3 times a week
Doing well on the veggies. Not eating enough protein still.
7. Walk at least 8500 steps a day and work your way up to 10,000
I didn’t add the 15-minute walk I mentioned last month but I plan to do so in May. This will bring me significantly closer to the 10K number.
8. Walk/Run a 10K
This is still a November goal 🙂 Though I must admit I am not feeling it at all. November is not as far away as it used to be and I fear this might not happen.
9. I also want to work on the coffee+graham crackers intake but not sure of the plan here yet.
Bleh. Still on hold with this one.
Art + Photography
1. Draw and paint a portrait six days a week (Project Six Portraits a Week)
Well I am not doing portraits now but I have sketched every single day since April 10. I even did two sketches a day for three of those days. I did 25 sketches in April. I am quite proud of that.
2. Art journal weekly (Project Weekly Art Journal)
This project is still going strong. I am loving the pages and the process. All of it.
3. Sketch something small daily (15-30mins)
Ah, see #1. 25 sketches baby!
4. Go on a Monthly photo excursion alone or with a photo buddy
I completely forget about this for some reason. I need to remember to schedule it. Now that the weather is pleasant again I think it’s easily doable. Will put on my calendar to schedule this for May.
5. Write weekly extended photo articles on my blog
Yeah, let’s just say this is not a goal anymore.
6. Figure out for once and all if I want an etsy shop and what will go in it
Finally progress on this one! I have come up with an idea. It might or might not pan out but I will work on it in May and we’ll see.
Scrapbooking
1. Create one layout a week just for me
Well I did create several layouts in April but mostly for work.
2. Do monthly The Girls’ Paperie layouts
Since the company is no longer, I doubt I have to continue this but I have done my share for April anyway.
3. Do monthly Pink Paislee layouts
I am all over this. I did both my April layouts in one sitting.
4. Do monthly Creative Therapy layout
Didn’t do any more in April. I am still caught up until July so we’re ok here.
5. Do monthly Write.Click.Scrapbook layout + write one more week during 2011
Same here. All caught up.
6. Successfully teach all four scheduled 2011 classes at Big Picture Classes and the one I am a part of in Masterful Scrapbook Design
All done with classes for now.
7. Aim to do 5-6 guest design spots or classes (that I teach) this year
I have a new guest design opportunity coming up this summer. I am not really trying too hard here at the moment.
8. Submit to one magazine a month (maybe, I can’t decide if I want to do this just yet.)
This is another area where I am not focusing enough. I will have to sit and have a good think about it and decide what to do here. It needs to either be more of a focus or not a goal. I don’t like doing things halfway.
Reading
1. Read a book a week (Project A Book a Week)
2. Read one book with David each week (Project A Book a Week with David)
Still reading a lot. Mostly young adult but I love what I am reading so it’s all good.
3. Regularly attend both book clubs
Well mostly down to one book club now but attended it in April.
Writing
1. Write at least one long thought/idea oriented blog post a week
I didn’t do as well as March here but I am still focusing on this. I will see if I can do better in May.
2. Write one new class (if you have requests, please share)
3. Write one downloadable pdf for my site or etsy (if you have requests, please share)
I do have some ideas here finally. We’ll see if anything pans out.
4. Write+email a newsletter each month
Doing this so far! Next one goes out in two hours 🙂
5. Possibly do NaNoWriMo (not sure of this one…)
We still have quite some time till November thankfully!!
6. Journal at least 5 times a day. Even if just for 15 minutes a day.
Yes! Journaling. Daily. Every day. Missed maybe one or two at most in April. Finally doing good here!
Learning
1. Learn to draw and paint portraits (Project Six Portraits a Week)
On hold for now. But learning to sketch!
2. Take 5-6 online classes this year
I’ve already taken 8 this year. I’m taking Chrsity’s class in May and will sing up for Alisa Burke’s watercolor class that she will announce on Monday. I am also taking Soul Restoration II in June. And I’ve finally figured out how I can use the Remains of the Day class so I will sign up for that one toward late summer likely.
3. Learn to write an iPhone/iPad application (sort of out there but achievable – let me know if you have an app you want)
Well I had made some progress but we’re at a standstill for now. Not focusing on this.
4. Learn how to make a stop-motion movie
No focus on this either. I have an idea but haven’t spent effort on this yet.
Community (This is a particularly hard one for me.)
1. Do a weekly-open house for Nathaniel’s moms group
This is still going strong. Some weeks it’s a few of us, some weeks just one and others none. But it’s great just the way it is.
2. Invite guests over for dinner at least once a month
We had girls’ night here and it was great. Already have a May social night scheduled on Monday.
3. Go out to breakfast/lunch once a month (to work or elsewhere)
I did one in April but to be fair I am not really doing a good job working on this.
4. Reach out to people I admire more often (leave more comments/send emails)
Did less so in April. But I believe in this goal and will keep at it.
And that’s it for April. Overall, I think I did pretty great. Lots of good goals met. Let’s bring on May!
After I thought about my word and my plans for 2011, I began to think more and more about what the word and the priorities meant. The end of the year is always a contemplative time for me. Likely it’s because I have a larger chunk of free time than usual and each year feels a bit like beginning a new notebook so I try to use the occasion to think and look forward and plan. I’ve learned that planning is tremendously effective. This is very long and mostly for my benefit (I like having a record of my plans and my thoughts) so feel free to skip. I won’t be offended.
About a week ago or so, I was reading Chris’s annual review article. I’ve read this before and have always liked the idea. I’m a technical person at heart and all these specific goals, measurable steps, etc. are right up my alley. Since I have my list of 9 priorities this year, I thought it would be a good exercise to see if I could come up with 3-5 goals for each.
So here we go:
Goals for Each Priority
Family
1. Read and do workbooks with David daily (Project A Book A Week with David).
2. Take photo of full-family and write updates weekly (Project Us Right Now).
3. Write a daily diary of us + gratitude (Project Daily Diary)
4. Start a family night where we all play games or watch movies together (Scheduled for Sunday nights 6pm)
5. Sign up for a mommy/me class with Nathaniel (this still needs to be scheduled)
6. Schedule minimum bimonthly date nights with Jake
Health (Project Healthy For Life)
1. Do a combination of walking and running daily, work your way up to 5K a day
2. Complete the 100 pushups schedule
3. Do strength exercises 3x a week
4. Track exercise+food+sleep+water using the fitbit
5. Get minimum 7hours of sleep every night and 8 on the weekends
6. Eat at least one serving of vegetables daily and chicken/fish 3 times a week
7. Walk at least 8500 steps a day and work your way up to 10,000
8. Walk/Run a 10K
9. I also want to work on the coffee+graham crackers intake but not sure of the plan here yet.
Work
I don’t share much about work on my blog and I won’t here either but I promise you I have 5 specific goals for work for 2011.
Art + Photography
1. Draw and paint a portrait six days a week (Project Six Portraits a Week)
2. Art journal weekly (Project Weekly Art Journal)
3. Sketch something small daily (15-30mins)
4. Go on a Monthly photo excursion alone or with a photo buddy
5. Write weekly extended photo articles on my blog
6. Figure out for once an all if I want an etsy shop and what will go in it
Scrapbooking
1. Create one layout a week just for me
2. Do monthly The Girls’ Paperie layouts
3. Do monthly Pink Paislee layouts
4. Do monthly Creative Therapy layout
5. Do monthly Write.Click.Scrapbook layout + write one more week during 2011
6. Successfully teach all four scheduled 2011 classes at Big Picture Classes and the one I am a part of in Masterful Scrapbook Design
7. Aim to do 5-6 guest design spots or classes (that I teach) this year
8. Submit to one magazine a month (maybe, I can’t decide if I want to do this just yet.)
Reading
1. Read a book a week (Project A Book a Week)
2. Read one book with David each week (Project A Book a Week with David)
3. Regularly attend both book clubs
Writing
1. Write at least one long thought/idea oriented blog post a week
2. Write one new class (if you have requests, please share)
3. Write one downloadable pdf for my site or etsy (if you have requests, please share)
4. Write+email a newsletter each month
5. Possibly do NaNoWriMo (not sure of this one…)
Learning
1. Learn to draw and paint portraits (Project Six Portraits a Week)
2. Take 5-6 online classes this year (already signed up for one with: Misty, Stephanie, Ali, and Melody so maybe I should aim for more)
3. Learn to write an iPhone/iPad application (sort of out there but achievable – let me know if you have an app you want)
4. Learn how to make a stop-motion movie
(more coming here)
Community (This is a particularly hard one for me.)
1. Reach out to people I admire more often (leave more comments/send emails)
2. Invite one book club member out to breakfast/lunch once a month
3. Go out to breakfast/lunch once a week (to work or elsewhere)
4. Ask one of the moms in David’s class out to lunch/coffee once a month
5. Do a weekly-open house for Nathaniel’s moms group
6. Invite guests over for dinner at least once a month
7. Stretch: Do a get-together or attend one
There we go. As more creep up over the year, I will likely come here and add/alter as needed.
Schedule for Blog
I’ve also come up with a schedule for my blog for 2011:
Mondays – Weekly Layout
Tuesdays – Art Journal Weekly
Wednesdays – A Book a Week, The Girls’ Paperie
Thursdays – Six Portraits a Week
Fridays – Healthy for Life, Pink Paislee
Saturdays – Us Right Now
Sundays – A Book a Week with David
And then there is Daily Diary and Monthy WCS layout and monthly Creative Therapy
I will also likely do Monthly Digital Downloads
And finally not directly on my blog but I will be doing the monthly newsletter which will also have digital downloads
Thoughts to Cultivate
There are some major focus areas I want to have throughout the year. Things that I want to come back to again and again. These will likely show up in my art journals but I also want to have them here for reference.
1. Let go of worry This is definitely the biggest issue for me. I worry constantly and I worry about the smallest things as well as the big ones. Even though I know worry is a wasted emotion I still can’t help myself. I want to work on this very actively during 2011. I’ve already talked to my husband and asked him to do some very specific things to help me. I’ve also decided to keep a god box. I want to be very mindful about what and who makes me worry more and create tangible solutions to each.
2. Slow down and be mindful I tend to be an over-achiever which is great but because I am so task-oriented and accomplishment-focused, I often rush through things. I am focused on the end and I don’t enjoy the journey. I don’t slow down. I don’t take my time, explore, learn, grow as much as I could. So my plan this year is to slow down considerably. Take my time drawing. Take my time reading and thinking. If some things don’t get done, that’s ok. I think that much more growth happens when we slow down and approach things mindfully.
3. Do not yell This one is self-explanatory. I absolutely hate hearing other people yell. And yet I do it more often than I’d like. This year, it’s a non-negotiable. It will not happen. It’s not a 5-10% thing. It’s all or nothing and the goal is nothing. People I love deserve my respect.
4. Be patient This one sort of goes along with 2 and 3. I need to practice more patience. I don’t need to rush through everything. I have young children. They are good good children. They are kind and generous and sweet. They deserve my patience. So does my husband. And me, too, I deserve being patient with myself.
5. Assume the best This sort of goes with number one. I tend to go to the worst possible outcome. Out of 1000 good comments I will remember the one negative one. I seek the criticism. I assume the person hates me, is mad at me, doesn’t want to talk to me, etc. etc. I assume people do not want me around. I assume I am doing a bad job and secretly people just don’t tell me. I have these amazingly negative theories about what others think/feel/do about me. It’s quite phenomenal and deeply damaging. And this year I want to turn this around. I want to be enough. I want to assume the best. I want to accentuate the positive. I’ve learned that if you repeat something enough to yourself and others, people start believing you. If you ask what’s wrong enough times, people start noticing things. You call negative energy and attention to yourself. I want to do the opposite. There’s so much good in my life and I want to bask in the glory of it. I want to always assume the best and remember and be grateful for the good.
6. Embrace joy I wrote about choosing joy before. This seems similar to 5 but it’s even bigger. Assuming is after something happens. Embracing is before. I want to seek joy. I want to quit worrying and embrace life and joy and bring forth good things in my life. Joy again and again. This would be so magical if I could do this. Just the idea makes me feel good.
7. Be comfortable in your skin Another big one for me. I have so many issues about who I am and how I look. But I think it’s time to start letting go of that and being free of my misconceptions. I want to get in the picture more so I can make peace with how I look. So I can see myself the way people who love me do. I want to get a new wardrobe, a new haircut, take care of myself a bit more. Not because I am not beautiful just the way I am but because my body deserves to be treated well. With kindness and compassion and it deserves more attention. Only the things you give attention to flourish. I’ve always had the notion that I am boring. I don’t drink or smoke or do drugs. I don’t dance. I don’t enjoy things that are often considered “fun.” But I love deeply. I am loyal and kind and helpful. I am resourceful. I am authentic. I am honest. This is me and instead of yearning to be something else, it’s time to love, accept, be grateful for who I am. I am deserving of friendship and love. And if I don’t believe that how can I expect others to?
8. Don’t criticize, work hard, do your best, let go Simple, obvious but often hard-to-do. This year, I want to focus on giving it all I have and then letting go. Just waking up, doing my best every day and then letting it all go when I lie down to sleep. Each day is a new chance. A do over. Another opportunity to get it right. So it’s best to let go each night and give myself the very best chance to get it right the next day.
And there we are. I am sure more will come up. But these are some of what’s on my mind.
Here’s to hoping 2011 is fantastic for all of us!
Happy 2011.
A New Year means a new word for me. In case you haven’t noticed it when I changed my banner, my one little word for 2011 is Free.
Free.
As I do every year, I feel like it’s the most important word I could have chosen. It has meaning on two levels for me:
The first part is about the past. I want to be free of my past. Of the ideas, thoughts, worries in my head of who I am, what I can do, what I deserve, etc. The past has a strong way of influencing who you are. And, of course, who you are affects your dreams, future possibilities and aspirations. The people and thoughts and words in your past shape who you’ve become and they are creating a limited view of the world for you. At least this is what I believe. I have a lot of strong convictions about what I am good at and what I should and should not do.
So a big part of this word (and this year) for me is letting go of the past. Of the hurt I carry around. Of the anger, jealousy, resentment I have for some of the people who broke my spirit. Of the words that were said to me or whispered behind my back. Of the limitations provided by my surroundings. Of the needs I think I have.
I want to be free of the past that’s chained to me. I want to feel like I am an empty vessel waiting to be filled with joy and possibility and dreams that I make up. Anything I want. Completely free. Starting over and not in the way I thought moving to America would help me start over. Not running away. Not trying to fake it. Not burying it all deep down. Not any of those avoiding tactics. I am happy to sit and face everything bad, sad, and ugly and just make my peace with it. Truly, genuinely let it go. I think this will be cathartic and I want to do it.
The other portion of this for me is about the future or maybe even the now. I want to feel free to do anything my heart desires. For example, I really want to learn to draw but I have a lot of voices in my head that tell me I can’t. I am not good at it. I am a computer person not an artistic one. Etc. etc. Same for exercise. I am not in shape. I can’t run. I can’t draw. I can’t can’t can’t. I have a lot of ideas of what I can and cannot do. What’s right and what’s wrong. I want to be free of all of that and feel free to do or be anything. I want to feel all that weight lift off.
I want to be free of worry. I want to let go and see that the world doesn’t stop turning and see that the people who love me still love me. I want to show myself that I can draw. I can run. I can. I can. I can.
So there you go. That’s my goal for 2011.
Since this word is so important to me, I’ve done a millon things to keep myself in this space mentally. I surrounded myself with reminders. I’ve decided birds and butterflies and angels are my symbols for free. And I’ve put them everywhere. Starting with my blog banner. If you look carefully towards the bottom of the flower stem, you’ll see the word “free.”
And then I got a necklace as I seem to yearly now.
Actually my mom brought the necklace. And when she came, she was wearing these two rings with butterflies on them. I begged to have them and of course she graciously agreed. I wear one right now:
I was taking this class from Tam at that time that I was thinking about my word. During the last class, she painted this amazing angel. I fell in love with her during the sneak she posted of the picture. I hadn’t even watched the video yet. And when I watched the whole thing, I felt like the angel was watching me the whole time and to my utter amazement (and joy), Tam wrote “I am free” at the bottom of the painting. I bought the print as soon as I finished watching the video and it hangs above my desk now.
I love love love love this image. I adore it.
My mom also bought me a birdcage and a nest and bird. It sits right next to my desk and the cage is open with the bird sitting on the nest outside the cage. As in, it’s free and not caged.
And finally I covered my art journal with a bird and cage, too. And I even put the word free on my daily planner moleskine:
I know I went overboard but, trust me, this word matters to me. What it represents matters to me. I cannot have enough reminders. I’ve also signed up for Ali’s Big Picture class. Depending on what they are, I plan to do the assignments in my art journal.
I also started a new tradition this year. A while back, I was listening to The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and one of the things the author mentions is managing our time and how we spend much of it doing what’s urgent instead of doing what’s important. As in, we’re often reacting instead of thinking ahead and calmly acting in the direction of our dreams and priorities.
So I decided it would beneficial for me to make a “Priority List”. A list of goals and people I want to prioritize during 2011. This way, when an opportunity or request came my way, I could check my list and make sure it is aligned with my priorities before I accepted it. It’s easy to lose sight of things and take on projects that end up eating a lot of my time and not making me fulfilled. If I had my list to look at each time, I could keep what’s important at the forefront of my mind and make sure to prioritize it.
Here’s my Priority List for 2011:
* Family
* Health
* Work
* Art + Photography
* Scrapbooking
* Reading
* Writing
* Learning
* Community
These are not in order. Yes, most of the time my family comes first. However, there are times when work takes higher priority because it has to for a brief time. Or sometimes I might choose to exercise even if my son wants to play at that moment. These priorities are fluid for me. They are all a part of me and I want to make sure I value them and dedicate time to each. I also want to make sure I turn down anything that doesn’t line up with one of these.
I know it looks like it’s all-encompassing and I spose if you wanted to, you could make everything fit into one of these categories but, in my heart, I know what these mean. And I know when something comes along that doesn’t fit. Above everything, I want to stay true to my gut. I’ve made the mistake of doing something that will look good and make others think well of me before and it was a lot of heartache for me and so I want to listen to myself more and trust my gut and know that if I turn down something that feels wrong, other opportunities will still come my way and I will know when the right one is there. So I will have faith in myself and in the universe.
And I will prioritize the important.
Since I like visual reminders. I used a beautiful Maya Road product to remind me of my priorities for 2011. I coincidentally happened to have 9 so it was perfect:
I had a lot of long words so I wrote them all on the computer, printed, cut, inked, colored with copics, and then slightly embellished with mostly butterflies.
And there we are. Here’s to an amazing 2011.
The year I will finally be FREE.
Just in case you’re badge-people I made some badges for some of the projects I’m doing for 2011. If you want more for other ones let me know. If you want different ones with photos or whatever, let me know that too. The badges link to my post explaining the project, under each badge is the code for it.
<a href=”https://www.karenika.com/?p=11513″ target=”_blank”><img src=”http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/karenika1/urn_badge2.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”Us RIght Now” /></a>
<a href=”https://www.karenika.com/?p=11493″ target=”_blank”><img src=”http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/karenika1/abaw_badge.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”A Book a Week” /></a>
<a href=”https://www.karenika.com/?p=11565″ target=”_blank”><img src=”http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/karenika1/hfl_badge.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”Healthy For Life” /></a>
and in case you’re taking either of my classes, here are badges for those, too:
<a href=”http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/imperfection.php”><img src=”http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/karenika1/imperfection-1.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”Embrace Imperfection”></a>
<a href=”http://www.bigpictureclasses.com/findyourway.php”><img src=”http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn127/karenika1/fyw_badge3.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”Find Your Way”></a>
I hope you like them ok. If you can’t get them to work, don’t hesitate to let me know.
Journaling Reads:
I think it’s perfectly apt that on this very last day of the year and on my very last gratitude art for 2010, I should make it about my favorite place in the world.
New York City.
I spent all of my twenties in New York. I moved there at 22 and moved away at 29. And I loved every single moment of it. I love New York with all my heart. It feels more like home than anywhere else I’ve ever lived and anywhere I will live.
To me, it embodies everything I love. Authenticity, culture, arts, literature, working hard, and, most of all, amazingly interesting people. It has the best bookstores I’ve ever seen. The best opera. The most amazing museums. I even love the dirt and the subway. And while I think it’s not the best place to live with kids, I do hope that one day I’ll get to live there again.
I am grateful for my time in the city. For all the opportunities it gave me. For everything I learned while I lived there. For the friends I made and the jobs I had. For me, NYC is unparalleled in its magnificence.
As the weekly gratitude project comes to a close and especially during the holidays, I’ve been thinking a lot about gratitude and how very very much I have to be grateful for in my life. So much of the basic stuff I take for granted like clothes, health, a home, a car, a loving husband, wonderful kids. These seem obvious and yet it’s the most obvious we often take for granted.
So it occurred to me to make a long list of things that I am grateful for. Things that make me happy. So many of these are obvious or simple or small. And yet they are miracles. They make me so grateful. And the even more amazing part is that I could probably easily come up with another 100. I hope that you take the time to make a long list of your own. It’s a really wonderful exercise.
So here we are:
- Music
- Having a warm home that’s just the right size for us
- David’s kindness and generosity towards Nathaniel
- The way Nathaniel’s neck smells
- Jake’s hugs.
- Nike+
- Good fiction
- Coffee – specifically Cafe Francais instant coffee
- Scrapbooking – specifically telling our stories
- TV
- My family all of whom love me unequivocally
- Paint – especially high quality paint with lots of pigment
- Butterflies
- Tulips
- The laughter of my children
- Packages
- Working from home
- Comfortable clothes
- iPad, Kindle and Sony readers
- My treadmill which allows me to work out every day
- Phone call from a good friend
- Quiet time
- Journals – especially hand made ones
- My new phone (especially for GPS!)
- Punches – borders and butterflies and hearts
- White cardstock
- My camera and lenses
- Email
- Working with people I like and on a project I love
- Skype
- Getting to design for amazing companies like The Girls’ Paperie and Pink Paislee
- My sister
- Graham Crackers
- Tim Holtz Scissors
- Beautiful pieces of art by Kelly Rae Roberts, Donna Downey, Rebecca Sower and others that adorn my walls
- Etsy
- Online classes
- Kind and genuine comments left on my blog
- Bananas
- Colorful fabric
- Inspiration – tumblr, blogs, interest, twitter, Facebook, youtube and all other places where inspiration is overflowing
- My kids’ hugging
- Bubbles – blowing them, taking bubble baths
- Streets lined with trees – especially in the spring and fall
- Watching the sun set and rise
- The sea and the ocean
- Car trips
- New York City
- the Internet
- Big Picture Classes – especially getting to teach there and all the students I have and how much I grow
- Reading to David
- Watching people paint and draw
- Being around people who are comfortable in their skin
- Yogurt
- Legos
- The splint I have to wear for my TMJ (cause it does make me feel better)
- Full moons
- Watching David write in his gratitude journal
- Coming home from the hairdresser
- Good movies
- External hard drives (to back up!)
- Warm coats and socks
- My fitbit
- The remote that releases the shutter on my camera
- Doing crafts with David
- Nathaniel saying Mama (and Daddy I love the way he says Daddy)
- My sewing machine
- A nice warm shower on a cold day
- My blog
- Photoshop
- Chocolate
- My MacBook Pro
- Sneakers that fit my feet properly
- TiVo
- My bed, covers, and mattress
- The video baby monitor
- Sunshine
- Drinking water
- My husband and kids playing together or hugging
- My curiosity and thirst for learning
- Watching my kids’ sleep
- Volunteering at David’s school
- People who follow their dreams (especially unconventional ones)
- People who are not afraid to show emotion (especially men)
- moments of peace and contentedness
- Instant Messaging
- unexpected mail
- being published in a magazine
- losing weight
- the Wii
- my husband’s love, generosity, kindness and endless friendship
- Penguins
- Good health, that none of us have a chronic or serious illness
- Twinkling lights
- Instructional videos
- Color – especially bright colors
- seeing my layouts on TV
- watching Nathaniel learn to speak and express his opinions
- Snuggling up with my kids and husband
- Love. I am so grateful for love.
If you do make a list, please share with me, I’d love to see it!
If it weren’t for my friend Lori, I would have never started this project. She was the one who messaged me and asked me if I’d like to join her in a year-long gratitude project. Lori’s a great friend and I loved the idea so I agreed without hesitation.
During the course of this year, I made 52 posts with my thoughts on gratitude-related subjects and 52 pieces of gratitude art. I’ve also written 3 things I’m grateful for every single day this past year. That’s 1,095 things. For the last six months or so, my six-year-old son has also been telling me three things he’s grateful for each day. And since November, he’s also been keeping a gratitude journal:
I cannot put into words the impact all this has had in my life.
The practice of gratitude is very powerful. Especially having to write down three things on those hard days when the world seems mostly black. During those times of illness and fear and tiredness. The practice of gratitude is what reminds you that there’s a flicker of light every single day. Every single moment of every day. It gives you the opportunity to pause and look and listen and pay attention to the good in your life.
Because there’s always some kind of good.
However small.
We take so much for granted. It’s human nature. And this project gives you the room and opportunity to take a moment to appreciate, to give thanks, to pay attention.
I’ve learned it’s important to pause and take a moment to be grateful each day.
I’ve learned that it makes my heart grow. It makes me realize how very much I have to be thankful for. How little it takes to make someone else’s day better. How many people impact my day. How much good there is out there.
It restores your faith in your life. In other people. And in the world.
All it takes is this one little project.
So I hope that, in 2011, you will take the time to write down things you’re grateful for. I will be continuing my 3 things here on my blog along with my son’s list and his journal. I will never ever forget this year and how it started me on this very amazing path.
Thank you, Lori. More than words can say.
I am so very grateful.
Journaling Reads:
We lived in San Diego from 2003 to 2006. We didn’t live in Pacific Beach but, for me, PB will always be the quintessential San Diego. It is the perfect example of the breathtaking beauty and nature that city has.
At the time we were there, I remember missing New York. Not appreciating most of what I had. But now, when I look back, I am immensely grateful for our time in San Diego.
We recently took a family vacation to Pacific Beach. We stayed right on the pier and got to watch the sun set every night. We got to smell the fresh sea air. We got to play in the sand. We heard the waves crashing and saw fish being caught and the surfers. Of course the surfers.
There are many reasons why we left San Diego and many reasons why I wouldn’t want to live there again. But I am so very grateful for the time we spent there. Grateful that we got to call this breathtaking city our home, even if for a short while. And I am really grateful that we live a reasonable drive from there because I plan to visit many, many times.
As the last days of the year approach and the holidays come rushing in, I notice that the todo list grows and the deadlines loom. One of the things I did a few years ago is to make a list of all the things I like and dislike during the holiday season. I then looked for ways to do more of what I like and less of what I dislike.
Simple right?
Well, not so. Holidays come with a lot of guilt. Ideas of wrong and right and things you should do. Feelings of inadequacy or expectations from people around you. Many people around me feel a strongly under-appreciated during the holidays. As my kids grow and the Christmas wonder dwindles, I know this will happen here too.
Which is where the list comes in handy. The idea is to focus on what makes you happy during the holidays and increase the amount of time you spend on that. And all the chores you don’t like, see if you can get rid of them, or at least make them much much less time consuming.
Here is an example:
I don’t do Christmas cards. I never have and I have no plans to. I take photos of my kids all the time and I love doing that. I also talk to, email, or write to most of the people I am friends with. I don’t need the holiday season to remind them of me or send them a printed photo of me that they won’t know what to do with. I generally don’t know what to do with Christmas cards I receive. I like them and look at them for a moment and then I toss them. And, maybe because of that, I think they are a huge waste of money and time and hassle for the recipient because I imagine them hesitating (like i do each year) and then guiltily throwing them away. So I just don’t do them. I save the time, the money, and the hassle. I don’t feel even 1% guilty about it and I use that time and money elsewhere.
Please bear in mind that these are my thoughts. You might love making and getting Christmas cards. That’s perfectly fine. The idea is to not to what you don’t want to do. Without guilt.
I also don’t put bows or other fancy wrapping on our presents. This year, I might try to even use gift bags instead of wrapping. I don’t spend time making a lot of hand-made presents. I might make one or two each year. Maybe. I also hate shopping. I always hate it but during the holidays even more so since the stores are so full. So I do all my shopping online. Early enough to get free or cheap shipping. I do it all in one night and then I am done.
What I do love to do is go on family excursions and to craft. And to put up a tree with decorations. I do a December Daily album each year to document the season as it happens. We have a beautiful tree and I decorate it mostly by myself. I don’t resent it ever because it’s one of the things I love most about the season. I love looking at it all month long. I love baking with my kids. I love relaxing and reading. And I try to spend most of my time doing that.
This gives me the mental and emotional space to really enjoy the season and be grateful for everything I have. It gives me the energy to snuggle up with my kids and be thankful they still let me hug them.
So if you’re finding yourself resentful or rushed this holiday season, my suggestion to you is to make a list. Write down all the things you resent doing. See if you can get rid of them. See if you can delegate them. See if you can minimize the time you spend on them.
And then make a list of everything you love. Schedule those into your week/day/month. Make sure you do them often and for longer periods. Remember that life is short and it’s better to feel joy over guilt. And doing more of what you love will fill you with gratitude.
And remember to snuggle up. Even if it’s just with a book.
Happy Holidays.
Journaling Reads:
I was lucky enough to spend six months in Japan in 1999 for a business trip. Most of that time was in Tokyo but I made two trips away. One was for skiing and the other to Kamakura.
While I would have loved to have visited Kyoto, I didn’t get the opportunity and Kamakura was the closest I got to experiencing the magic of all the temples and the nature.
I remember most of my time in Japan with joy and gratitude. I loved every moment of it. The uniqueness, the foreignness and all the kindness of strangers have still stayed with me.
I loved the cherry blossoms and the fish market and all the parts of Tokyo I visited. Each unique, each more amazing than the other. But Kamakura was much more magical than any others. It was peaceful and quiet. Even though, at the time, I was really sad that our one occasion to visit was “ruined” by rain, I can now see that it only added to the mood and solitude of being there. Maybe next time I visit Japan I will get to visit Kyoto, but until then, I am grateful that I got to visit Kamakura and experience some of the beauty.
There’s a bad place where all your thoughts are negative. The place where you’re mean to yourself an everyone around you. You wallow in self-pity or resentment or anger or frustration. You take everything from the worst possible angle. You make mistakes and then get angrier. You snarl at the people you love and then feel disappointed in yourself. And the cycle goes on and on.
Please tell me I’m not the only one who goes to that bad place.
I’ve been living in that place for the last couple of days. I am not entirely sure how I got there or why I’m stuck there but here I am. I’ve been grouchy and mean and having major meltdowns over the smallest things. It has not been fun and I go to bed each day determined to snap out of it and wake up each morning back in that place.
But here’s the thing: even during these dark days, I’ve had amazing moments of gratitude and joy.
People have been kind and understanding and generous with me. I’ve had moments of laughter. I’ve felt good about accomplishing a task and finishing some todo item. Even if they were fewer and far in between, they were there.
So if your week or day is going like mine have been, I urge you to pause and pay attention to the moments of gratitude you have in the middle of darkness. To me, those are little bits of hope seeping in to remind you that life is not nearly as bleak as it seems right now.
That’s what practicing gratitude is all about: paying attention to the good. Because some good is always there.
Always.
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projects for twenty twenty-one
projects for twenty nineteen
projects for twenty eighteen
projects from twenty seventeen
monthly projects from previous years
some of my previous projects
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