Resolution Schmesolution

I don’t believe in New Year’s Resolutions. I believe in Plans. Just Plans to do things. Whenever I want to do something, I just make a Plan to do it. I don’t need to wait until the start of a New Year. But with that said, I always seem to have a lot of carryover Plans from the previous year that I just never got to that end up looking a lot like Resolutions. And since I am a List Person, I like to look back on the previous year and cross off my ‘accomplishments’, if you will. And after this past year’s list, I was pretty pleased and may or may not have secretly patted myself on the back…a few times.

2011:

•  
  •  Started up my Etsy shop
  •  Painted the main floor bathroom which is now affectionately referred to as the 'Blue Bathroom'
  •  Climbed a 14-er (ok well, made it to 13,000 ft before I got scared but that is still huge!)
  •  ReBeelution.tumblr.com was born
  •  I have learned new ways to manage my disease more effectively thus giving me a better quality of life
  • I got a new job which has been really great so far and has also given me a better quality of life
  • Planned a blow-out trip for my husband’s 40^th birthday!

Not too bad if I do say so myself! Now for 2012 – I have so many plans and not enough time. I have realized that a lot of the plans revolve around the house…we have been there for 3 ½ years now so it is high time to get things done that I stare at every day and say , “Ugh.”

2012: 

• Re-tile the fireplace (unless I find an awesome old wood mantle at the Flea Markets – see below)
• Go to more Flea Markets and Estate Sales - Gems galore at these places!!!
• Paint the kitchen cabinets white – this is going to be a beast of a project
• Make more French Food! (the butter industry will love me)
• Build up my heatherbeeco headquarters. I need organization and my husband  wants his living room back!
• Read more books – this is ALWAYS on the list. (It’s the pesky time thing again) 
• Start my Wino’s Quilters Club thanks to the free monthly course over on Craftsy (more info to come after my vacation – let me know if you want an invite!)
•  And of course, all of the little things around town that I can never seem to get to  (Festivals, art galleries, tea shops)

And whether you make New Year’s Resolutions or Plans, here are a few ReBeelution Gems that have really worked for me over the past year: 

1. JUST SAY NO!  Instead of being a people pleaser every moment of my life, I have learned to start saying NO. I can’t always go to every Happy Hour or Brunch. Sometimes I just need Me-Time or Husband-and-Me-Time. I have learned that I need to maintain a sort of ‘relaxed-flowy’ lifestyle which in turn keeps my stress level to a minimum. If I was planning on staying at home and watching a movie in my comfy clothes and someone calls to go out for dinner and the thought of putting on make-up and clothes and interacting with other humans fills me with dread and a pukey feeling, I JUST SAY NO! I won’t have fun and my friend won’t have fun with me being miserable while I yearn for my slippers and that crappy RomCom back at the house.
2. WHOLE LIFE LIVING – I am using this to refer to what I try and do every single day. To be wholly present in every single moment of my life.  Really give the person I am talking to my complete and undivided attention. Really savor the meal that I am eating and feel all of the flavors hit my taste buds. Really listen to everything around me – birds chirping, breezes through the trees, laughter, the falling rain. Doing all of these things helps me to slow down and appreciate my life and the world around me.

Happy New Year! Now go make some Plans!