Revising My List for 2021

Like many others, I chose a single word to focus on for 2021. My word is working well for me so far in the new year.

Teaching me or reminding me of important lessons. Keeping me from going overboard. Mostly, I’ve felt quite a bit less stressed this week.

Enjoyed a slow week (though really, thinking yesterday was Friday all day messed me up a bit). And worked on feeling a bit less guilt about saying no to work on this snowy day.

Spending more time focused on my plans for the day even if they are simple ones. Paying the bills, working on my blog, watching the birds, laundry, reading my book. Finally, making the potato soup for lunch with my son.  A plan that’s been in the works since mid-December.

However, last night I wasn’t feeling quite as relaxed. A fair amount of Little Red Hen syndrome going on with me. So, I stepped back and tried to figure out why I was really so upset and stressed. It hit me, my list of items for the year was too much.

But, Jean, you only put 11 items on the list! You already did less. Perhaps we can just revise the list, then?

Here’s the old list:

1. Read 72 books
2. Join in for every single Happy Homemaker Monday post
3. Keep a kindness journal
4. Serve a vegetable with every main meal in addition to/instead of potatoes
5. Buy and savor a “fancy” (read expensive) magazine each quarter (so 4 times)
6. Spend at least 5 minutes outside every day
7. Observe one sugar free week each quarter (sensing a theme with the quarterly things here)
8. Follow a nightly skincare regime
9. Learn a craft
10. Participate in Rudolph day on the 25th of each month
11. Save and preserve my old blog, So Not Organized (maybe in book form or on a flash drive?)

Doesn’t seem so bad really. Yet, a couple of those items were causing me a bit of undue stress. So, time for a revision.

Here’s  Revised list:

 

1. Read 72 books
2. Join in for every single Happy Homemaker Monday post
3. Keep a kindness journal Focus on ways to be kind to my family
4. Serve a vegetable with every main meal in addition to/instead of potatoes Try one in season new vegetable each week
5. Eat dinner together at the table as a family Tuesday through Thursday
6. Buy and savor a “fancy” (read expensive) magazine each quarter (so 4 times)
7. Spend at least 5 minutes outside every day
8. Observe one sugar free week each quarter (sensing a theme with the quarterly things here)
9. Follow a nightly skincare regime
10. Learn a craft
11. Participate in Rudolph day on the 25th of each month
12. Save and preserve my old blog, So Not Organized (maybe in book form or on a flash drive?)

As you can see, I didn’t change much. And actually I’m adding an item. Here are my thoughts on the changes:

Why no kindness journal? I’m already a kind person, mostly. Frankly, it was stressing me out to try and remember writing my deeds down at the end of each day. And while I know it’s vague, it’s an area I need to improve. Always easy to be kind to strangers, not so much to share that kindness with the people who are constantly about in the same house.

The vegetable thing? A bit much, not that it’s not a worthy goal. Again, just the stress of it. Doesn’t mean I won’t expand the vegetables served with our meals, just that I’m not going to make myself crazy trying to do this with every single meal.

Review of the Rest of the Items

Here’s how it’s going with the other items:

1. Read 72 books: I’m not worried about this at all though Goodreads says I’m a book behind on it.
2. Join in for every single Happy Homemaker Monday post: So far, so good on this one!
3. Keep a kindness journal Focus on ways to be kind to my family: It’s been a say less, listen and appreciate more kind of week (mostly).
4. Serve a vegetable with every main meal in addition to/instead of potatoes Try one in season new vegetable each week: We all (except J who fell asleep early) tried turnips. Mixed results.
5. Eat dinner together at the table as a family Tuesday through Thursday: We ate together Monday-Thursday! 
6. Buy and savor a “fancy” (read expensive) magazine each quarter (so 4 times): Still deciding.
7. Spend at least 5 minutes outside every day: I’ve done this weather permitting, today may not.
8. Observe one sugar free week each quarter (sensing a theme with the quarterly things here): Not yet, thinking I’ll shoot for the last week of January
9. Follow a nightly skincare regime: I ordered from skincare products from Philosophy but they’re not here yet
10. Learn a craft: Still deciding
11. Participate in Rudolph day on the 25th of each month: I did create notebook for it.
12. Save and preserve my old blog, So Not Organized (maybe in book form or on a flash drive?): Not started at all. Need to research.

Not a bad start at all, I don’t think.

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Are you off to a good start with your word or goals for this year?