New Year’s Resolutions? Why Not!!

Every year we have an opportunity to start over.  We can change what did not work for us in the previous year, and decide to do something different, tweak something to make it better, or just stop doing something altogether.

A new year is also an opportunity to make plans.  That’s the best part of a new year. We get to resolve to do something different.  We “get to” make goals for the new year, and work towards making those goals a reality.  I believe in making goals and plans for the upcoming year.  It works for me and I am a believer in the process.  I have made goals in the past, but never saw any real goals realized because the plans were just thoughts, or a few spoken words, with no plans for how I was going to achieve them.  Once I changed how I make goals, by making lists that I can see and determining what it will take to achieve the goal, I was able to reach more goals.

My Personal Goals for 2020

For example, my plans for 2020 were a bit shattered because of the pandemic.  But when I look at my list of goals for 2020, it was not a complete flop.  I have a goals sheet for my husband and me, and my own personal goals sheet.  On my personal goals sheet, I had 17 goals.  I accomplished 8 of the goals.  Which leaves 9 goals that were not reached.  Of those nine, 5 of the goals involved taking trips, which were all canceled.  The others were Make a Coat, Make my first Quilt, Crochet a Bedspread, and Create my first “How to” blog post.  The good thing is I can take all of these items and add them to my list for 2021, which gives me an opportunity for success.

Here are a few of the goals I did accomplish: starting my blog, posting on Instagram, paying off credit card debt, organize my sewing room, [that didn’t last long] and save money for my trips.  I’m off to a good start on getting that crochet bedspread made.  See the crochet granny squares below.  I have 100.  I started this last year. I just need to add another color as a border and then put them together.  Ching Ching.  Checking off those goals!

Work in Progress. 100 Granny Squares for Crochet Bed Spread 

New Work in Progress. Accent Pillow Using Bobble Stitch Crotchet 

 

Our Couple Goals for 2020

My husband and I had 18 items on our 2020 Goals List.  Of the 18 items, we accomplished 11!  Including selling our flip house, creating a driveway at our home, Paying off two loans we had, Building shelves in our storage unit [a 3 full hot days in July ordeal), and creating storage shelves in my husband’s closet.  So, all in all, I think the Goals List was more than accomplished.  Of the items left on the list, there is only one that we probably will not pursue, but the others can be added to our list for this year.  Below are a few picks of our flip house.  That was quite a project for us, but we did it!  I hope to be able to do a separate post on the flip.

A New Year, New Opportunity

A new year is full of possibilities.  And the best part, is we get to define some of those possibilities.  It is an opportunity to refocus and concentrate on making something new happen.  To make steps toward what we desire, and steps away from what we don’t.  I resolve to shop less, and if I do shop, thrift, and to be more creative.  I love thrifting because it’s an opportunity to reuse what has already been created.  It’s good for me and the environment.  And if I no longer want the thrifted item, I can just return it to the boutique [thrift store] and let someone else have it!  More on thrifting, (I call this boutiquing) later.

Here’s my worthless but kinda cute assistant, Cinders. I think she thinks I work for her.   

A New Heart in 2021

A new year is also an opportunity to forgive.  Who doesn’t need forgiveness?  Who doesn’t need to ask forgiveness of someone for what we’ve done?  We have all hurt someone and we have all been hurt.  A new year is a beautiful opportunity to finally forgive, and in some cases, forgive ourselves, for mistakes we made a long time ago, or as early as last year.  Forgiveness is real freedom.  Freedom from what you say?  Guilt, shame, embarrassment, pain, physical and emotional, low self esteem, self loathing, depression, and a host of other ugly characteristics that we carry with us, for the simple fact that we won’t forgive others or ourselves.

 This year, I resolve to . . . . . . .

In closing, do you have any new year’s resolutions?  I certainly hope so.  You have a whole year to accomplish it, so why not?  Resolve to make it a better year than last year, with what control we have.  I resolve to keep making my life beautiful, one project at a time.

 

Forgiveness is Freedom.