"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.
You did very well on your 2013 goals. I thought about you the week before Christmas as I was watching all of the shoppers go crazy trying to buy gifts for their loved ones. I’ve considered preparing for Christmas throughout the year but have never done it. A friend of mine is always finished by September. Her gifts are purchased and wrapped!
ReplyDeleteDe-cluttering is an ongoing process with me too. Sometimes I’m more aggressive about it than others. As far as the cake a week goes…LOL! We all have our moments of insanity! LOL!
I haven’t quite come up with any goals for 2014 as yet either. I’m thinking of going deeper into some of my prior goals instead of making new ones.
Wishing you the best for 2014!
Purchased and wrapped by September? WOW! Sounds like my sister. I'm not that good but have already gotten a start on Christmas 2014.
ReplyDeleteI like to do two gifts per grandchild - one moderate and the other small (like a book). Well, the little girls who will be two and four by next Christmas and who are very into the whole princess thing are each getting a microplush throw with a crown hood (the dark pink choice at http://www.kohls.com/product/prd-1476434/jumping-beans-character-hooded-microplush-throw.jsp). How cute is that? And I've had them for a couple of weeks already. I find the best stuff at the best prices by shopping the Kohl's sales before Christmas but I'm shopping for birthdays and Christmas in the upcoming year.
Anyway, I recommend you try the early prep thing, especially once you start having grands to buy for, as well. The biggest trick is to keep track of what you've bought and where you put it all. I've actually upgraded to an Excel spreadsheet for 2014 because I figured out I could copy and paste in pics of the items and not have to write descriptions. And it's a fun visual, too!