This new year feels very different to last.
Last January I wasn’t well, having picked up a nasty bout of Flu whilst visiting Santa in Lapland.
Flu turned to pleurisy, I seriously lost my motivation, and even worse – my sense of humor.
Every cloud has a silver lining – What did my 4-month illness teach me?
To make hay while the sun shines.
(How many proverbs can I fit in one post? We’re up to 2 in a word count of just 63 – not bad going…)
None of us knows what is just around the corner (there we go another one, or is this an idiom – what’s the difference?).
So, why wait? Just do it.
New year is the time our thoughts turn to making resolutions and forming better habits. To work toward being the person we truly want to be.
There’s new hope. A new 365 page book, the slate has been wiped clean (just can’t help myself can I?)
We’ve all been there. There’s an abundance of resolutions to keep, new habits to form.
I wonder how many gym memberships lapse at the end of February or even earlier?
I’m not one for new year resolutions. Every day is a fresh start, an opportunity to make the most of who you are, and how you want to live your life. But still, the allure of a new calendar is strong. The force is weak with this one.
Last Spring I mapped out my 5 main personal priorities.
I was wisely advised that to try to establish 5 new habits was too much, and that focus was required.
It was good advice. It works. I’ll be keeping this in mind during 2014.
Focus.
I’m revisiting those 5 priorities. But I’ll be approaching it slightly differently. One priority per week will be selected and I will do that first, above all of the others.
Then, if I have time, I will work my way through the others. I’m predicting I’ll achieve 3 out of 5 each day. But that’s okay – not perfect, but what in life is? Certainly not my good enough chocolate fudge cake!
What are YOU focusing on in 2014?
*This post makes a good read for those looking for motivation and inspiration
I’ve started the year with good intentions. I hope that they last! This week started with a menu plan and successful food shop – added to that I made a soup using leftover Christmas carrots. Our priorities are a bit different to yours. We have 2 special children, so this 2013 was the year of buying takeaway because the days were filled with managing meltdowns! So this year we’re trying to make sure that we can cook every day – including buying specifically for batch cooking (because microwave meals are essential on really bad days – better to have homemade ‘ping’ dinners!) My plan is to make up complete meals in tupperware – freezing pasta along with bolognaise sauce and veg along with cottage pie portions etc…Maybe that’s obvious to other people, but it’s new to me! We’re also trying to be realistic with what we cook – simple but nutritious, that fit around football and after school activities! No food waste will be an aim of ours too as I have been ashamed of throwing away unopened fresh produce. Lastly, I intend to bake/cook with my kids – again, simple food but also valuable life skills. My kids love making pizza and are good at preparing veg for putting on top. We need to do more of that! So there are my priorities – batch cooking, realistic menus and cooking with the kids. Hope I can stick to them!
This all sounds great Helen. Resolutions and focus on real areas of improvement. You’ll do great! If things don’t go quite to plan, take it on the chin and focus again the next day. Good luck on reducing waste as well! Looking forward to seeing you on a Friday as part of No Waste Tastes Great and Food Waste Friday! 🙂
I’ve started the year with good intentions. I hope that they last! This week started with a menu plan and successful food shop – added to that I made a soup using leftover Christmas carrots. Our priorities are a bit different to yours. We have 2 special children, so this 2013 was the year of buying takeaway because the days were filled with managing meltdowns! So this year we’re trying to make sure that we can cook every day – including buying specifically for batch cooking (because microwave meals are essential on really bad days – better to have homemade ‘ping’ dinners!) My plan is to make up complete meals in tupperware – freezing pasta along with bolognaise sauce and veg along with cottage pie portions etc…Maybe that’s obvious to other people, but it’s new to me! We’re also trying to be realistic with what we cook – simple but nutritious, that fit around football and after school activities! No food waste will be an aim of ours too as I have been ashamed of throwing away unopened fresh produce. Lastly, I intend to bake/cook with my kids – again, simple food but also valuable life skills. My kids love making pizza and are good at preparing veg for putting on top. We need to do more of that! So there are my priorities – batch cooking, realistic menus and cooking with the kids. Hope I can stick to them!
This all sounds great Helen. Resolutions and focus on real areas of improvement. You’ll do great! If things don’t go quite to plan, take it on the chin and focus again the next day. Good luck on reducing waste as well! Looking forward to seeing you on a Friday as part of No Waste Tastes Great and Food Waste Friday! 🙂
Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time. …is my proverb to add this post. 🙂 And that is one of my priorities for the year. I want to ‘waste time’ with my kids and husband, to talk, play, cook together, just be together. I also want to focus on building up my counselling practice and eating paleo food only, at least five-six days a week. 🙂
Shucks missed that proverb 😉 Good luck with your focus and the counselling practice!
Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time. …is my proverb to add this post. 🙂 And that is one of my priorities for the year. I want to ‘waste time’ with my kids and husband, to talk, play, cook together, just be together. I also want to focus on building up my counselling practice and eating paleo food only, at least five-six days a week. 🙂
Shucks missed that proverb 😉 Good luck with your focus and the counselling practice!
If you are able to achieve 3out of 5 of your goals most days, I’ll be very impressed. Good luck.
Managing 4 at the moment. If I bake I tend not to write and vice versa! And exercise is a bit hit and miss also…
If you are able to achieve 3out of 5 of your goals most days, I’ll be very impressed. Good luck.
Managing 4 at the moment. If I bake I tend not to write and vice versa! And exercise is a bit hit and miss also…
It matters that we make resolutions; then at least we try to make changes. Without them, we don’t make an effort. But I’m with you, resolutions can be made anytime. A new year is just the most obvious and traditional!
Over the past year I’ve done much better on the food waste front, which was something I felt really needed changing. As of Christmas just passed, I aim to become a person who does things BEFORE they need done, instead of waiting until the last moment. This has been a problem since I was old enough to make those decisions, and it’s become worse the past few years. High time to change that!
Snap Jo. I’ve always put things off. I get distracted too easily. Hence focus! Good luck!
It matters that we make resolutions; then at least we try to make changes. Without them, we don’t make an effort. But I’m with you, resolutions can be made anytime. A new year is just the most obvious and traditional!
Over the past year I’ve done much better on the food waste front, which was something I felt really needed changing. As of Christmas just passed, I aim to become a person who does things BEFORE they need done, instead of waiting until the last moment. This has been a problem since I was old enough to make those decisions, and it’s become worse the past few years. High time to change that!
Snap Jo. I’ve always put things off. I get distracted too easily. Hence focus! Good luck!
My priorities are moving to my own property at the end of march and get out of rented accommodation. This will allow me lots of things to build on a) properly grow my own veg in the ground rather than in pots (money saving) b) have more money as ironically my mortgage will be £150 less than my rent c) clear two of my credit cards by the end of the year (as a result of a and b) this all leads to d) a feeling of regaining control over my own life!
Good luck with all your priorities (love reading your blog even though I’m not a mum or wife etc). Xx
Sounds like an exciting year for you! You can do it! 🙂
My priorities are moving to my own property at the end of march and get out of rented accommodation. This will allow me lots of things to build on a) properly grow my own veg in the ground rather than in pots (money saving) b) have more money as ironically my mortgage will be £150 less than my rent c) clear two of my credit cards by the end of the year (as a result of a and b) this all leads to d) a feeling of regaining control over my own life!
Good luck with all your priorities (love reading your blog even though I’m not a mum or wife etc). Xx
Sounds like an exciting year for you! You can do it! 🙂
I like your priorities! Filling a chunk of each day with just one of them would be a great start. I am trying to spend my hobby time, like reading and blogging, in longer blocks of 2 hours or so, rather than as 5-10 minute “multitasking” breaks!
We all need to take our ‘hobbies’ more seriously. After all we can easily fill time with dull stuff. Make the good stuff a priority 😉
I like your priorities! Filling a chunk of each day with just one of them would be a great start. I am trying to spend my hobby time, like reading and blogging, in longer blocks of 2 hours or so, rather than as 5-10 minute “multitasking” breaks!
We all need to take our ‘hobbies’ more seriously. After all we can easily fill time with dull stuff. Make the good stuff a priority 😉