Assorted End of Year Thoughts

Sunrise and sunset.  Hard to tell apart, although they are opposite from each other.  Both beautiful!

It takes a long time for me to become enthused about a new idea or project.  Take, for instance, decorating for the Christmas holidays.  My husband will usually surprise me by putting up decorations when I'm out of the house early in the month of December.  Somewhere around the 20th of the month, I will decide to do a bit of housecleaning.  All the freshly dusted surfaces will call out for more decorations, and I will finally feel like it's time to pull out some old decorations ... or buy more, as the case may be!  It's much the same with keeping my last year's New Year's Resolutions, especially the one about finally getting organized.  Now that the end of the year is upon us, I intend to have a clean-up and organize blitz, just as soon as I have finished this blog entry.

I am one of those people who seem to need the motivation of a fast-approaching deadline in order to achieve anything.  At the same time, I hate deadlines because of the stress.  I hate appointments and commitments on my calendar as well, for much the same reason.  My favorite day is one where I have nothing definite that must be done outside of the normal routines of living and just "being".

I'll admit this is much easier now that I am retired from the work-a-day world.  I have always hated routines, preferring to not repeat myself.  I am the person who always tries different routes when driving home from the store!  Definitely not a creature of habit!  In retirement, the spontaneity of no routine has become my routine.  Appointments and commitments jar me back to a world that is more structured, and it is not comfortable.

Definitely sunset!  Feeling nostalgic as this year comes to an end.
Despite some of the sadness this year brought, there was also joy.
I'll let this sunset be a metaphor for the beauty of the day ending
and the new year that will follow.

I struggle to find a middle ground on this as I work on my hobbies and on-line projects and stores.  Turning a hobby into a small business has taken a lot of my time, but is fun so it never feels like work.  If I was a tad more structured and organized, it could only make me more efficient.  And that would leave me feeling less frazzled when I get requests to volunteer.  It is almost funny, but it seems like every time there is a function where I feel obliged to volunteer (things like teas at the church or babysitting or running errands for someone who needs help), that is the very day that I was sure I was going to tackle a huge project like organizing my kitchen cupboards or cleaning closets.... probably the only day of the year I was actually feeling inspired to do all that cleaning and I can't act on it!  Yes, that actually is the thought that goes through my mind, and yes, I am poking fun at how absurd my reasoning can be.

I have never, even in my youth, felt like partying on New Year's Eve.  The evening has always been a time that I like to spend in reflection and meditation, and yes, prayer, as I consider what has been accomplished and what I need to focus on in the coming year.  I used to write out resolutions, but now I am more focused on "continuing to try to improve".

The one thing that I will publicly state is that I must work on improving my lifestyle ... eat healthier and get more exercise.  Healthy lifestyles set us up to succeed in other areas of our lives!

Do you write out resolutions and spend at least a few years working to incorporate them until they are new, good habits?  Or is it more a case of good intentions and poor follow-through?  Or do you resist any temptations or pressure to have formal resolutions?  I'm interested in what others do.  And whatever your style of resolutions or not, may the new year bring blessings and happiness, with as little sorrow as possible.

3 years ago we had record amounts of snowfall.  So far this year we
haven't had a lot of snow.  I will be quite happy if it doesn't snow any
more; a good rainfall in the spring will bring much needed moisture.
Given my druthers, I would love to live in a place with warm winters.

And thus I shall conclude my ramblings for the end of the year.  I hope everyone has some memories they will cherish from the past year.  God bless us, everyone, in 2016.