What Will YOU Achieve in the Coming Year?

"If we write our dreams and goals down, we dramatically increase our odds of realization. If we share them with others, they become potent and alive."

~ Kristin Armstrong 

What are your plans for 2014? What do you hope to accomplish? Does writing it down and sharing with others really help you achieve your goals?

Last year at this time, I wrote down and shared three things:

• I started Project DO to help me declutter and organize
• I committed to being prepared for Christmas (and birthdays) well ahead of time
• I jumped onto the Cake-a-Week bandwagon

 

Should have all been doable, right? I mean, really...won't I be decluttering and organizing during my regular cleaning? And wouldn't it be pretty easy to be prepared for Christmas way ahead of time if I just focused a little? And making a cake each week would be fun!

 

Well...

After a full year of Project DO and my formalized Christmas Prep, I've realized a few things. Firstly, I'm no good at documentation. I'm good at doing but fall down on the job when it comes to taking photos and posting about my progress. At first it's fun, as evidenced by the early posts. But then the novelty of talking about it wears off and I just quietly go about my business.

So did I accomplish my goals? Pretty much! I was mostly prepared for Christmas by Halloween and this is the lowest stress year I can remember. I also made some good progress on getting rid of stuff and neatening up what's left. But both these are ongoing projects. Christmas comes every year so I'll be prepping throughout the year every year. And there will never be an end to decluttering and organizing! But I'm not going to press myself to write about the minutiae. Who wants to read all the nitty gritty details anyway? I will try to do periodic updates, however, and will be sure to share if I find something especially cool.

As for making a cake a week - what insanity was that? We're a bunch of middle-aged folk who don't need the extra calories! But it was sure fun while it lasted.

As for the coming year, I'm giving myself until the end of January to come up with my 2014 goals.

Publishing Delay but Never Fear - Impossible Beyond This Point is Almost Here!

Getting Impossible Beyond This Point into finished book form has been a labor of love and a mega-challenge. While I optimistically projected (and repeatedly insisted - so much for positive thinking!) that it would be published in "late" 2013, I must now admit to myself and the world that it will not actually be done until some time in January 2014. But here's a peek at the cover. What do you think?

So...what happened?

Well, we had a few struggles selecting, scanning and formatting the 100 photos, which added weeks to the process. Then after all that seemed resolved, I found a few minor issues with the final proof and just can't let it go into print until it's as perfect as possible. In addition, the cover in real life is a little darker than it appears here, so we've got to adjust the color and contrast and whatever else needs adjusting. Of course, the proof came during the holidays when the key players in this project are running all around enjoying Christmas with family and taking some much earned time away from work. Anyway, while I'm disappointed that it isn't finished yet, we're all back on the job and it will be done SOON - yippee!

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas...

I keep hearing Frank Sinatra in my head.
So...

Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Let your heart be light
From now on, our troubles will be out of sight

Have yourself a merry little Christmas
Make the yule-tide gay
From now on, our troubles will be miles away

Here we are as in olden days
Happy golden days of yore
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more

Through the years we all will be together
If the fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now

Another Reason to LOVE Kohls

I absolutely LOVE Kohl's. Not only do I get great deals on quality items (which translates into affordable gifts) AND (usually) free shipping AND (sometimes) Kohl's cash, they've now upped their game and sent me $25 for not getting my latest order to me in a timely manner. Granted, the items didn't arrive by the time I expected but weather-related delivery delays were happening all around so it certainly wasn't anybody's fault. So kudos to Kohl's for going the extra mile to keep their customers happy!


They weren't kidding when they came up with their logo...

How Are You Spending Your Energy?

"Too many of us are hung up on what we don’t have, can’t have, or won't ever have. We spend too much energy being down, when we could use that same energy - if not less of it - doing, or at least trying to do, some of the things we really want to do."    

      ~ Terry McMillan