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Happy Things to Start the New Year
Good news to focus on for a change:
15 Good News Trends Reductions in polio, TB, and malaria, the top 3 I think most serious situations in diseases in recent decades (cholera is probably up there too though). I believe polio is slated to be the 2nd permanently eradicated disease ever.
Inspiration and beautiful nature:
This gorgeously shot Darling Desi video. Where she lives is so stunning (I think it’s Utah, I think that was on one of the videos).
And of course, some humor:
Of course we have to have 16 Personalities Reviewing 2020. I’m INTJ, ISTP, ENTP with a touch in INTP here. ENTJ has a point about elbow bumping, too close, also, I’ve always hated hand shakes. How about, and this was pre-2020, hi and don’t touch me and stay out of my personal space which is a 6+ foot radius for strangers?!
And how about some major throwback to actors before they were famous and/or (not as famous) their breakout roles. There are some hilarious photos in there.
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#lavinewyear Lavendaire 10 Days of Growth: Days 1-4
Lavendaire (I have trouble spelling Lavender, and that follows through to Lavendaire, I keep wanting to add a’s instead of e’s) is the first Youtuber to get me motivated to just plan my life. I think it was the end of 2018? She just has such a feminine, calm aesthetic and tone which I love while so many goal sort of people are more fast-paced, loud, masculine, bold, and just too fast and too much for this little snail right here. I guess I just felt that goals felt more attainable or appealing for my personality after seeing her videos, a gentle nudge in the right direction rather than a drill-sergeant.
I tend to follow more of Muchelle B’s stuff more recently (again, a soft aesthetic and a way of planning that just speaks to my brain language), and I went through a lot of her videos in my new year planning (more on that when I actually am finished, January is more of my planning, restart, prep month). But I felt that I hadn’t watched much Lavendaire lately and when she had this 10 Days of Growth Challenge, I thought I’d like to do it, and it’s just so refreshing and simple. I signed up late and you still get the emails one at a time so its gently paced.
I had a lot more to-do’s and plans written out this year because I wanted to work things in while I think my goals were more in my head and similar to last year, so for day one I distilled I guess much of that down into the three life-changing goals:
- I want to get into the habit of enjoying life and making memories. So for day two I counted that I went to see Little Women. It’s kind of a big deal for me to go to the movie theater. I used to think oh, I can usually wait unless its something I KNOW I will adore, but the last year or so, I realized while I do want it to be special, I can still go a little more often for the experience (I think Star Wars and Aladdin really emphasized that, and I really wish I’d gone for Endgame, live and learn).
- I want to be healthy
- I want to be financially secure and healthy and independent
Day 3 I read 15+ pages of Whose Body the first Lord Peter Wimsey mystery. I was re-reading Narnia as a Christmas treat to myself but got a bit stuck (I’m an extreme mood reader and my January treat of rereading the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries felt more in tune with my mood).
Day 4 is creating a vision board.
I’ve heard a lot about vision boards but I tend to resist them or want to overdo them or think I will ignore them, but I decided I could do a small Pinterest board for this year, and I could check back on it from time to time. I think maybe it would be fun to do a vision board success board of MY photos to sort of match those of my vision board that I’ve actually achieved.
The pins I chose I hope reflect: holistic health, healthy size for me, exercise, nature; a more “me” style; spending more money on experiences like travel, taking craft and art classes and seeing traveling broadway shows (already bought my Anastasia tickets, another big deal for me); getting a car and my own place; alternative income streams and working on my current career path; keeping my memories in a pretty journal; and reading well.
#lavinewyear
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2019 Goals: Organization and Personal Development
Projects
- Edit and better organize and back up photos (and obtain as main old photos as I can), especially in order to make photobooks
- Determine old computer issues, try to get files (those on old C.D.’s if necessary); have back up plans for current computer
- Complete all my random unfinished projects (art journals, quilt top, embroidery, shells/coral)
- Complete 24 major knitting projects from my stash (average 2 a month)
- Complete 24 major sewing projects from my project pile/stash (average 2 a month)
- Complete room renovation one small step at a time; optimize for organization, sleep, ease of daily life, and sewing
- Work on genealogy (excel sheets and family book); do free stuff first and then DNA
- Take one solo trip, even if it’s small
- Complete regency outfit in time for 2019 JA festival
Skills to Learn (I tried to put this in order of importance, the last few are highly unlikely; also, I’m not aiming for these all at the same time, right now, the first two are in my habits)
- Spanish
- Graphic design
- Photography
- Drawing (be sure to utilize Craftsy, CreativeBug, and YouTube)
- Watercolor (be sure to utilize Craftsy, CreativeBug, and YouTube)
- Lettering (be sure to utilize Craftsy, CreativeBug, and YouTube)
- Mental Math
- Liquid eyeliner, lipstick, quick and professional hair curling/styling
- Dyeing
- Formal Logic
- Jewelry-making
- Piano
- Storytelling
- Mountain dulcimer
- Horseback riding
- Tennis
Work Through Several Self-Help Books (not merely read, but follow as guides)
- Sleep: Sleep Smarter: 21 Essential Strategies to Sleep Your Way to A Better Body, Better Health, and Bigger Success
- Thinking: 5 Elements of Effective Thinking
- Habits and Time Management: Miracle Morning, Atomic Habits, The Power of Habit
- Personal finance and investment books: some Dave Ramsey books as well as others
- Organization: Essentialism?
- EQ: Emotional Intelligence 2.0?
Memories
- Keep all journaling, office, and art supplies together
- Journal everyday; mark memories in calendar also
- Art journal, travel journal
- Get better at photography and photo editing, storage, and development
- Phone photo printer
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2019 Goals: Health
Why is this the hardest thing?
Main goal: Improve habits so that overall health is improved in a sustainable way.
Specifics:
- Lose 30 pounds and build muscle, build flexibility, and develop good posture habits
- Eat better and make that a habit
- Set easily obtainable exercise and stretch goals
- Obtain medical records
- If I’ve reached health goals, find a doctor and schedule appointment
- Schedule dental visit and build that habit
- Schedule eye doctor visit and build habit and buy glasses for driving and for blue light
- Personal goal
- Build sleep habit and follow sleep books, particularly Sleep Smarter: 21 Essential Strategies to Sleep Your Way to A Better Body, Better Health, and Bigger Success by Shawn Stevenson
- Regular haircut habit (I don’t remember my last haircut, it’s been at least a year)
- Regular skincare habits and investments (especially SUNSCREEN)
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2019 Goals: Financial and Career
My work history isn’t pretty. I’ve been mainly temping and will probably continue to do so for awhile, but is really not enough on it’s own. I’m trying to work on being more proactive and less dependent. I don’t know how to explain this all; I’m very tired of being given stale advice that is really opinion, and I know I haven’t tried hard enough or worked enough, but I do want something that I feel decent about, so I need to find a balance of my.own.thing and still be a responsible adult. Here are my (edited for privacy) goals in the area of finance and career.
Financial
- Pay off short term debt
- Try to earn a certain amount this year before taxes
- Fill an emergency fund to at least a certain amount and then continually build with regularly small additions
- Live off last month’s income!
- Keep and gift/experiences/travel fund (or perhaps a fund for each category)
- Private goal
- Start investing (regular and retirement)
- Generally follow a basic budget (quarterly with monthly adjustments)
- Have no debt and bills paid by end of year
- Buy a decent used car and have it paid off
Career Goals
- Have a stable source of income or a clear path to one by 2020
- Work on tech degree as hard as possible with a plan; I must be in a bachelor’s program by Spring 2020 semester
- Get a couple of certifications for other job options
- Work on soft-skills & genuine networking
- Work more and earn more (be proactive about looking for assignments and side gigs that suit me)
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2019 Goals: Systems
One of my resolutions this years is to add processes and products into my life to make things easier. Much of these ideas for routines and organization came from MuchelleB’s channel.
Since I got my new phone, I finally jumped on the bandwagon to using Evernote. I’m so glad I need. I put my checklists for my daily routines, weekly reset list, etc. on there.
I’m still in the middle of working my plans and such into habits, and I never have the same schedule for long, so we will see how it works, but I’m pretty happy write now. I have my daily routine sheets (I’m still need to print the one that has everything on one page), my habit chart page, and my weekly spread and those things hold all I need to do. I’m still trying to wean myself off of stickies, but I think I’m far better or maybe fine as I’m just using them for notes rather than to-do’s.
- Make Life Overall Easier
- Implement Life Admin Days (one per quarter), Weekly Reset Days, Morning Routine, NIghttme Routine. I got these ideas from MuchelleB’s channel, and I loved them.
- Make Habits Easier
- Build into routine (morning/evening), schedule appointments at appointments. I’m easing into my goals and processes. I found the way that AmandaRachLee does her habits in multiple mini calenders makes it much more appealing for me to track them. I have split my day into Morning, Lunch, and Evening and tried to work all my habits from my habits chart into this.
- Make Health Easier
- Clear floor for exercise, pick out outfits, make simple schedule
- Plan and prep meals, keep decent snacks, invest in helpful appliances (lunch warmer, crockpot, Instantpot), keep good grocery lists
- Get huge water jug (set reminder if I must)
- Make Daily Life Easier
- Set routines
- Laundry: (4 basket bin, clean/ironing basket, steamer, schedule)
- Cleaning: get proper tools and keep together
- Renovate bedroom, get more bathroom organization
- Stuff control (tips: one in one out; “where will it go?” “do I own similar?” “do I really need this?”; play minimalist game/get rid of 500 items, once per quarter?), buy safe/locked fire safe filing cabinet
- Have a place for everything & group everything by category (my sticky points: library books, current reads, office supplies/notes, quote notebook, reading notebooks, borrowed books, school, journal)
- Make School Easier
- Set up space with everything needed
- Knock out work at the earliest possible
- Make Sewing and Crafts Easier
- Set up a space
- Get better organization
- Make Fashion Easier
- Streamline underthings and basics
- Avoid items with special needs/extras (e.g. something that needs an accessory in a color I don’t currently own, something that needs extra underlayers, etc.)
- Have one wedding and one funeral outfit with shoes, accessories, under things, and outerwear
- Have multiple business professional, business casual, dressy casual, outdoors (including hiking), and dress outfits with shoes, accessories, under things, and outerwear
- Make Tech/Web Control Easier (i.e. make it easier to not be on them all the time)
- Books
- Puzzles
- Journal
- Projects
- Drawing
- Audiobooks, audiodramas, podcasts
- Boardgames
- I need all these to be things that I like, so for some, such as the audio ones, I might need to come up with lists since I do NOT gravitate towards them at ALL.
- Make Travel and Exploring Easier
- Travel fund
- Travel tools
- Pinpoint fears
- Go with family
- Folk school and similar planned/controlled excursions
- Map out plans, costs, and answers to fears
- Make Life Overall Easier
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New Year Resolutions and Planning
I’ve spent a lot of time planning, several drafts of resolutions, goals, etc. I watched tons of YouTube, mostly MuchelleB for ideas and inspiration (last year Lavendaire was the go-to YouTuber) plus lots of AmandaRachLee and others (see my Pinterest board section for more of them) for the practical, physical planner pages.
I’d decided on a lot about my physical planner system that I wanted: letter-sized (I prefer larger, and letter is more practical for print-outs here in the U.S.), dot-grid paper, bullet journal layouts, and removable pages. However, I did make some changes, I changed from Filofax to Staples Arc (I got this one), because of color mainly, but also the price (since the Staples notebook was on sale). I still have yet to get the punch for my notebook.
I then tried to research a good paper thickness. I ended up with 28lbs paper, but I definitely go thicker next/when I get the chance). I found this free bullet journal dot paper print-out (I’m going to have to work with my printer settings in order to try to get it to be perfectly symmetrical, also not sure my printer likes the thick paper).
I’m keeping my yearly, quarterly, monthly goal breakdown, but I’m trying to aim for more practical and achievable (for me personally) goals. Again, I’m not holding myself to these strictly, but if I aim and get many things partially completed and constantly readjust, I will be doing quite well. This time I also set some basic resolutions that my goals will fall under. These are:
- Achieve a basic level of financial and career security
- Make a significant improvement in overall health
- Implement systems and organizations to make life easier
- Make more serious and systematic strides in skills
My word of the year is: Security
My focus of the year is: Aiming for independence with comfort
My goals are quite long (and are the details of the resolutions) and have been broken down into categories (I’ve posted the reading ones already, I think I might make each category a separate post, at least for the less personal ones).
I’ll probably post pictures, but maybe after I get the planner looking a little prettier.
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The New Year Tag for 2018
What did you do in 2018 that you’d never done before?
I’m a hobbit, especially this year. I can’t think of anything major.
Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make one this year?
I made a ton of goals and while I met some parts of the goals, overall I don’t think I made a success. Yes, I’m definitely having goals. I’m trying to make them more general upfront, and then I will break them down into more achievable steps and plans.
My resolutions were…
I posted them around this time last year if you really want to see them.
Did anyone close to you give birth?
Yes, my sister-in-law to my first niece (first niece or nephew, is there a group word for that?).
Did anyone close to you die?
No.
What countries/states did you visit?
Florida (the states we drove through to get there don’t count). In other words, back to normal; so much for my dreams (I missing the key ingredient of bravery, since I apparently cannot drive 2 hours in my own state to see the total solar eclipse, over a year, and I’m still disgusted with myself). I’ve been made aware that around this area there are two states, the one you live in and Florida.
What would you like to have in 2019 that you lacked in 2018?
Financial independence.
What date from 2018 will remain etched upon your memory?
My niece’s birthday.
Did you move anywhere?
No.
What was the best month?
All the ones after my niece has been born (the last 3.5).
What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I’m not sure. Maybe spending more time with family.
What was your biggest failure?
All things financial and career (per usual).
Did you suffer illness or injury?
No.
What was the best thing you bought?
I didn’t have major purchases, but I bought a lot of unique handmade and vintage items. I posted about the art fair already. I think I have yet to post about some of the other trips.
Whose behavior merited celebration?
Anyone who didn’t do or say anything awful.
Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Everyone who did.
Where did most of your money go?
School and make-up and skincare, I think.
What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My niece.
What was the best concert you’ve been to this year?
I don’t go to concerts.
What song/album will always remind you of 2018?
I’m so not a music person, should probably work a bit on that. I have listened to the Greatest Showman music, probably the most current music.
Compared to this time last year, are you:
1. happier or sadder? Happier or more positive at least, I hope, I think?
2. thinner or fatter? Ouch, definitely fatter.
3. richer or poorer? Um, less in debt.
What do you wish you’d done more of?
Saved money.
What do you wish you’d done less of?
Spent money. Shared too many words and emotions at work (i.e. trust no one).
What was your greatest musical discovery?
Like I said, not a huge music person. But I have enjoyed learning about Christmas carols in Stories Behind the Best Loved Songs of Christmas by Ace Collins. And as folk music is definitely my favorite genre, I enjoyed watching and listening to this bluegrass clogging video.
How did you spend Christmas?
With family, I’ll probably post about it soon.
How are you spending New Year’s?
Well, typing this post, I opted not to go with my family to friends. Tomorrow, per usual we have people over (to avoid people having run-ins with drunk drivers) for homemade doughnuts, ping-pong, and board games.
Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?
Social media.
What were the best books you read?
The best books were old favorites for fiction. I did enjoy starting Stephen Lawhead’s Pendragon Cycle and Diana Wynne Jones’ Crestomanci books as well as a few others, but no loves there. I appreciated a lot of the health and disease books I read and Sleep Smarter which I want to buy and use like a manual.
What were the best movies you watched?
I Am Dragon, Spiderman: Homecoming, Thor: Ragnarok, Bringing Up Baby, and Monkey Business.
Did you fall in love in 2018?
No.
What was your favorite TV show?
Yeah, I’m NOT a television person.
Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
What did you want and get?
Spiderman: Homecoming, The Hollow Crown, and The Magic of Ordinary Days.
What did you want and not get?
Books with beautiful covers on my wishlist.
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2018?
Apathetic.
What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Probably watched a movie? And later we did a family month birthday (we have 5 in that month). Apparently I didn’t do a birthday post, not sure why. But I need to work better at documenting memories, it’s disturbing what I can’t remember. I turned 28.
What kept you sane?
Easy books, funny movies, my room.
What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Financial and career security.
Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Hmm, I think I did more fawning on old favs (including really old ones like Gregory Peck and Gary Cooper), Tom Hiddleston, oh, wait. I know a good one. When we watched She’s the Man, my sister and I were drooling over young Channing Tatum (let’s be real, the major reason I wanted to watch that). I also fancied the men in I Am Dragon. But I can’t think of anything that matched my Richard Armitage, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Tom Hiddlestown rages (those later two, especially Hiddleston were more like “real” crushes, cringy I know).
What political issue stirred you the most?
We don’t do politics here.
Who did you miss?
No one.
Who was the best new person you met?
Most new people I’ve met have been work people.
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2018.
Always have an emergency fund.
Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Five things I want to do in 2019:
Achieve financial stability
Implement patterns to make my life easier
Travel more
Maybe get out of my shell more (that’s not really a want but a should)
Develop my talents more. -
My 2018 Goals
I have nine categories of goals. I’ve already changed some, and I’m sure others will be amended. Some items are hard to set in stone or I have/will learned of better options. Also, I will selectively edit what I choose to show, some of my goals are too personal or to uncertain for me to put here.
Financial
~Pay of debts and dues and stay out of debt
~Begin investing a significant portion of my income (this is new)
~Purchase a TEFL certification course
~Save and pay for CLEPs and tuition (including Spring 2019)
~Put certain amounts in a ROTH IRA, in an emergency fund, and in a savings accountCareer
~Work with Lumerit on my schooling (this is new; we are trying to find the best option for me)
~Achieve TEFL certification and try to find an online job
~Complete other career training and add good job experience to resumeHealth
~Achieve healthy/weight muscle balance
~Increase my flexibility considerably and improve my posture
~GO OUTSIDE! Make it a habit
~Get various beauty and health treatments
~Healthy sleep habits
~Take regular screen vacations and find a better usage system
~Build up better eating and hydration habits, and a decent recipe and meal plan selectionPersonal Development
~Relearn math
~Work on EQ, interpersonal communication, critical thinking, and logic
~Learn Spanish and start a second language
~Work on geography
~Work on developing my artistic skills (complete all my Craftsy and Creativebug art courses and this YouTube course and work through some of our books and some library books)
~Work on my music deficiency and relearn piano
~Possibly take some lessons (dancing, ice-skating, horse-back riding, tennis)Travel and Explore
~Explore my area (with my grandparents for some of this)
~Explore my state
~Visit 2-3 new states/explore states I’ve been to more
~Visit 1-2 new countriesOthers
~Finish overdue gifts, finish 4 baby blankets, be timely with gifts
~Spend more mindful time with family, particularly my grandparents
~Give blood a couple timesHomemaking and Holidays
~Redesign my room
~Reorganize and purge (finish all scrapbooks, photo editing, and photobooks; organize and streamline recipe and other folders/binders; organize, streamline, and back up my computer and documents; find a better place for Christmas, gift, office, craft, etc. supplies)
~Work on my cleaning systems
~Work on holiday/Christmas planning to minimize stress and maximize my enjoyment!Sewing and Making
~Learn tatting, improve jewelry making and embroidery
~Develop my sewing and knitting skills along with my wardrobe (including hard items like lingerie, sweater dresses, cardigans, silks); complete wardrobe!
~Work on art/travel journalsRead
~Keep improving in depth and intensity (see my 2018 reading tab for more details) -
New Year Plans
I read a couple of posts that mentioned that in order for a person to read his/her goals said person must plan out and break down goals (light bulb). Is this one of the most obvious statements ever? Yes, probably. But I’ve never made goals for anything, I’ve never planned really. I’ve made lists, which mostly aren’t completed, and I’ve floated along doing or not-doing (the usual) activities as they came along. So, once college was completed, I had no plan, no steps, no practical knowledge. So I’ve been stuck/wandering in circles aimlessly for a while with plenty of random paths taken. Now, I will never be a one goal, one interest person, but I want to actually do all the activities I talk/dream about, and I really need to become more independent.
While on vacation in early January, I started typing out and organizing my goals. I highly recommend this since you can move everything around and continually add as you think of ideas. I was planning to buy a new bullet journal, and I wanted everything to be sketched out first, so my goals would be neat and organized. I had accumulated a small bookmark folder of New Year type posts as well.
When I got home I ordered the bullet journal, washi tape (12 designs which worked out neatly), page flags, sticky notes, pen holder, and pens. I love the concept of a bullet journal because as I’ve mentioned before I need flexible structure, and regular planners are far to cement structured for me. And that is also why I’ve always opted for a larger bullet journal. I used a (Letter-sized) Moleskine half-heartedly (I didn’t truly utilize it as a planner fully) for two years. This time I bought this Leuchtturm1917 journal in emerald with dotted pages (B5 is very close to our “Letter” just a tad narrower and perhaps a cm taller) and a matching pen holder.
I spent considerably time laying everything out. Its hardly perfect. I forgot to add monthly goals pages, so I have to use the “free pages” for that, and my calendar pages are a little rough, but I’m really happy with the structure. And I can always tweak things. I’ve recently added my book goals (I intentionally left that for a different page because I had so many, but they aren’t important in the way by other goals are, and I didn’t want to distract from those other goals).
- I wrote out my word (Bloom) and focus for the year (Discipline and Diligence) on the first place.
- I divided my 2018 goals into categories which I color co-ordinated; these took up the next four pages.
- I delineated my first quarter goals (again, by category)
- I laid out the first quarter months (for each: calendar of month with room for narrow sticky, monthly and Internet brain dump pages, free page, weekly page, habit tracker, weekly goals)
- I left a blank set of pages for second quarter goals and laid out second quarter months, and repeated for last two quarters.
- At the back of my bullet journal I left two pages for 2018 review.
- I’ve since added my book goals (trying to break them down a bit).
- I’ve also discovered, like I said that I need to break quarterly goals down into monthly. From there they are either in the habit tracker (things that should be habits/require discipline) or go to weekly and then daily goals (specific, unique goals). Although if they fall in the latter category, I’m more likely to wing it.
I’m going to do a separate post of my yearly goals, and I’m hoping to post my quarterly goals and monthly goals as appropriate. I’ve read bloggers who grade their monthly goals according to a letter system, and I find this a far more helpful system that did or did not because it shows how a person made progress even if the person didn’t complete everything. Again, not everything is set in stone (especially for some of the long term goals) because I’m learning new things and doors open and shut. And full disclosure, I didn’t accomplish much (in proportion to the time available to me) in January. But I’m trying to be growth minded; previously, I would think, “Well, then I’m done, I blew it,” instead of looking at the positive. I have too much of an all or nothing mindset which for me is usually nothing.
Anyway, here are some iPhone photos of my bullet journal:
Here are some links from my collection:
Internet/Social Media Vacations
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New Year’s Tag and Links
New Years Tag
What did you do in 2017 that you’d never done before?
Drove downtown.Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make one this year?
I had four general goals which I wrote down and don’t have access to at this moment. I doubt I reached them.What would you like to have in 2018 that you lacked in 2017?
Maturity.What date from 2017 will remain etched upon your memory?
Well, it should be my sister’s wedding, but apparently I started going senile in 2017.What was the best month?
December.What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Paying off a massive amount of debt.What was your biggest failure?
Not taking CLEP tests.What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Paying off said debt.What was an unexpected surprise?
A pay raise before I even started the job.What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Having a job for more of it.How did you spend Christmas?
With my family.How are you spending New Year’s?
In FLORIDA!!!!Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2017:
Sometimes the best thing is to dismiss/ignore/stop people/events/books etc. who/that are stupid/mean/out of my control. That is a re-learn in some respects.Compared to this time last year, are you:
Happier or sadder? Happier.
Thinner or fatter? Probably about the same.
Richer or poorer? RicherFive things I want to do in 2018:
Be a financial adult
Be healthier
Travel outside the U.S.
Significantly develop my talents
Learn things I’m weak in (math and languages)What kept you sane?
Optimism and my family.Did you move anywhere?
Ha, no we are low moving family.What countries/states did you visit?
Indiana, Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida (some of these of drive through or quickie).Where did most of your money go?
Paying down debt.What was the best thing you bought?
New clothes and shoes? Brand new books? I couldn’t really make significant purchases this year.Did you suffer illness or injury?
No, I’ve never suffered even a mildly serious injury, and I rarely get sick.What did you want and get?
Lots of things from my gift list.What did you want and not get?
So many things.Did you fall in love in 2017?
No.What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
27 and see here.Did anyone close to you give birth or get pregnant?
No births but lots of babies in 2018; three family babies and one friends (so far).Did anyone close to you get married?
My sister got married in April. Her wedding took up the first third of the year (she had a rather short engagement).Did anyone close to you die?
No.Who was the best new person you met?
I didn’t really meet anyone new.How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2017?
Stagnant.What was the best book you read?
Economics in One Lesson, Basic Economics, The Vanishing American Adult, and The Intolerance of Tolerance.What were your favorite books of this year?
The top-rated fiction books (that were new to me) on my Goodreads are Blood Feud, The Golden Road, The Nick of Time, and Daddy Long-Legs.What was your favorite TV show?
I try find any new-to-me ones because I’m not a T.V. person.What were your favorite films of this year?
A bunch of Hallmark ones like Love Blossoms and Summer Villa.What was the best concert you’ve been to this year?
I don’t like concerts.What song/album will always remind you of 2017?
None.What was your greatest musical discovery?
I don’t have any.Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Do you notice I’m lacking in the music category?Try this 12 month challenge or this one.
A Year of Sweaters. I really would like to try something like this, but for me, it would be more specific, like the year of cardigans. I’m not sure how much pullovers are my style.
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Analyzing Yearly Resolutions or Goals: Conducting a Personal Review
How to conduct your own annual review. I would say this is only interesting if you are someone with a lot of irons in the fire or if you make and can keep specific plans. I do better with more abstraction, but if I get busier, this might be fun.
