For my last post for the year, I was going to do a collection of my favourites from 2013, but that would mean re-reading 364 posts. I also know that I would find errors to correct and syntax to improve, which could take days. Instead, I found a post from January 2013, that had a list (there’s that word again) of my plans for the year. The post was titled, Live to 100 and given that my dad is now 99, I can at least hope 🙂 The idea is that people make lists as a way of planning to achieve something, such as, losing weight or getting out of debt etc. The original site that started the idea,
www.livingto100.com, suggested that you make a list of how you are going to live to be 100. Here is my original one from January 2013, with end of the year notations.
Well I managed, with this last post, to write 365 blogs in the year. Not everyday and not all with pictures taken on the day, but it was a start and I am now going to work on improving my writing of it in 2014.
2. I will clean out the clutter, to free up my mind and my space to concentrate on what’s important.
I have cleaned up a lot at home and a little at the office and I definitely feel lighter!!
3. I will walk more, for exercise, yes, but also for moments of interest. Walking is one of the slowest ways of moving from A to B. When you zip by in a car, you miss so much.
I have stepped up my walking, no pun intended. I bought a FitBit in December and I plan on tracking my walks to increase them, with a lot of help from my black plastic band.
4. I will try to connect more with people. I often say that I am not strongly a people person. Don’t get me wrong. I love people. I just don’t always seek them out as energizers. I sometimes have to recharge my batteries by being alone and writing or knitting or walking.
I’m still working on this one!! My word for 2014 is “people.”
5. Making 3 changes. I was talking to a friend the other day and she is following a writer, who has suggested that you can improve your life through small changes. He recommends that you try to change just three things, at a time. Presumably when the first 3 things are ingrained, you move onto another 3 things and so on. Well, my friend plans to cut out junk food, soda pop and wheat. I thought OK, I don’t eat junk food, or drink pop, and I plan to keep my addiction to pasta for another year or two.
So, I have to come up with some other ideas. I do want to read more and I was thinking of getting an audio book system set up. I also plan on keeping a better filing system, once I have cleaned out the clutter. And finally I will step up my “Dale Carnegie” approach to life and its challenges – never criticize or say negative things – everything can be re-phrased with a positive spin!!
Dale Carnegie is working!! I button my lips more than I have ever done and try to re-phrase things positively. I still fly off the handle every now and again and over-organized corporations will always get the bulk of my wrath, but I’m much better with my kids. At least I think so 🙂
I have made a spread sheet of the classics (books) and I am systematically working my way through the 80 (now 78) titles in the “must read column.” OK it took me a whole year to get organized enough to read 2 books on a list of 80. But it’s a start.
The office filing has been re-listed for 2014 🙂
It’s really more of the same for 2014. I’m looking forward to the books. I have just bought Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy for a mere $9.95. I also did my 10,000 steps today in -12ºC temperatures with a wind chill. It makes up for what I didn’t do yesterday 🙂
The picture? Hope things just keep rolling along for you in 2014.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!