Endings and Beginnings

Every year, in the week between Christmas and New Year's Day, I spend several hours composing a personal year in review for myself. I learned of a format through Marie Forleo that I like. These are the three sets of questions I ask myself:

What did I do create, or experience this year that I’m really, really proud of? What big or little things did I make happen this year? What did I create? What did I experience? What did I do that I’m really proud of?

What mistakes did I make that taught me something? What lessons did I learn that I can leverage? What are some of the things that didn’t go so well? How can I do better next time? How can I use this to grow into a better and wiser person?

What am I willing to let go of? What are the projects, goals and things that have been hanging around my To Do list for years that I never get around to? What can I get out of or release myself from? What can I just drop? What do I have hanging around that is no longer aligned with who I am now, what I hope to achieve in the future, or where I want to go? What resentments, angers, and hurts am I holding onto? What kind of guilt, shame, or embarrassment am I not willing to forgive? What stories am I telling myself that are no longer serving me?

I look forward to this exercise every year. I like to read what I've written in years past, and see my own growth. I like creating new ambitions.

One of my bigger take-aways this year is that ... duh ... I really am an artist.

I completed 64 projects last year. That works out to a completed project every six days! And if you count each individual project in the multi-item projects like Valentines, ornaments, Christmas cards, etc., I made a total of nearly 140 items which works out to about two completed projects per week!!!

Another happy realization is that this year I completed at least a dozen UFOs, WISPs, and PILLs. What are those?

UnFinished Objects (things that were started years ago and not completed)

Works In Slow Progress (things that were started and I pick at a little bit over months)

Projects In Long Lines (ideas that have been floating around, many with the components gathered and waiting in project bags, but hadn't been started yet).

That realization made me positively giddy. It feels so good to bring some of these creative concepts into being.

Another stand-out thing that happened this year is that I found my "tribe." I went on a retreat last Spring and met many other like-minded women. I've stayed in touch with the group and have gotten to know a few choice people through Facebook.

Likewise, I completed The Artist's Way course and found kindred spirits in Facebook groups dedicated to that framework, too.

I'm also proud of myself that I've only missed a dozen blog posts this year. I've been very consistent about posting something every day. It's my version of a daily scrapbook, and in looking back over the year, I have lots of memories to savor.

As for lessons learned the hard way, I see that I'm getting better and better about setting personal boundaries. Go me!

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A second part of my exercise is to pick goals.

Of my 18 Goals in 2018, I completed all of them. The two long-term multi-year goals will continue on into next year.

Here are my 19 Goals in 2019:

Stitchery
1. to 6.

Do the finishing work on six of the needlework pieces that are stitched but not ready for display. I have at least a dozen to choose from.


One Shot Projects

 7. Learn to use my pom pom makers

 8. Go on a Celebrate Your Life retreat
 9. Create a watermark for my photos
10. Finish setting up the photo studio in my basement
11. Watch the DVD about Lake Missoula
12. Learn my Enneagram

Medium Length Projects
13. Reach a designated goal weight by my February doctor’s appointment
14. Paint and add privacy fencing on our dog kennel/storage space
15. Purge and organize storage shelves in exercise room
16. Use up my tea stash

Long Term Projects

17. Blog at least 25 weeks of #throwbackthursday posts of my 1997 - 2007 projects
18. Blog at least 10 of my Ladies of the Evening beaded handbag collection (mend as needed)

Long Term Courses
19. Finish at least one of six courses/classes on my list. I'm leaning toward a course on basic design principles.

I do have 32 alternate goals that I can swap out for any of these 19 if circumstances dictate.

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The final part of my exercise is to pick a Word of the Year.

For 2019, my word is whittle

Dale and I are starting the downsizing journey. After living in our home for 25+ years, there will be a lot of downsizing to do. We started this year. We're hoping to step up our game in 2019. But I'm determined to keep from making it a chore. I'm certain there is a way to bring whimsy to the process, to be creative in how we go about releasing objects, to make it fun. To whittle down our possessions.

We also want to continue to whittle down our weight. Whittle down our A1c score. Whittle down our anxieties.

I like the word whittle. It makes the processes bite-sized. Do things a little at a time.

Whittle a little.

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Now my lists are made. My intentions are clear.

Time to get this New Year's Eve party started! We're having quite a shebang:

A 3D movie here at home
Popcorn
Little smokies
Chex mix
A jigsaw puzzle
And blowing bubbles at midnight

HAPPY NEW YEAR, FRIENDS!