Priorities

The sun is out again. Hooray! It’s been so cold and wet so many days that I think I may have fallen into a trap of doing very little these last couple of weeks. It was just too miserable to get out of bed before 10 o’clock. As I look out the window, I've decided that a walk around the lake is definitely on today's list.

As I write, the Australian leadership is up in the air, is difficult to define and is something of an enigma. Or, at least, it seems that way. Really, all is well. I know of no fellow citizens whose lives are in turmoil because of the recent election and its yet-to-be-decided outcome. Procedures are in place. Final votes are being counted as is prescribed when there is no clear majority.

Like my life. I still have my job, my partner, family and friends. I still have my home. Hospital visits are part of my weekly routine. For now. Really, all is well and I have no difficulties. The usual procedures are in place. Not that I’m always following them. But they are there to pick up when I am ready.

Like the Australian government, life is operating a little differently for the moment.

I compiled a list of what is important to guide me through this time, to be used until life settles, to refer to when my mind wants to switch off. I formulated it at a time when I didn’t realise I was adjusting to all that was happening, when I had been feeling rather anxious. It had to be a simple list. A list of priorities.

1. Rest. Priority number one.
2. Reflect and relax. Do things which bring joy. Even if it is just for ten minutes. Take time out.
3. Drink water.
4. Eat well.
5. Exercise. Walk. Perhaps one day run.
6. Love and acceptance. Because sometimes my patience runs short and I need to know what to say, what to do, how to react in a split second when life is challenging.
7. Listen. I think this will be on all of my lists for ever and ever. I aspire to be a good listener. A reminder, too,  that life is is not all about me!
8. Do jobs. Sometimes I do not want to do the dishes. Sometimes I do not want to do my paid work. I need to keep my focus. I need to do some jobs.
9. Organise. I am absent-minded. Truly. I need to keep lists and write things down.

The hospital visits are important. I am no longer anxious as I approach all things medical. I am becoming comfortable with the hospital routine. It’s more my day-to-day routine at home and work which are often up in the air. Hence the list.

I sit in the waiting room and watch other people and I see that some of them are dealing with some heavy stuff. I get perspective on my own situation.

Like the Australian government, I know what the result will be. It will be OK. While things are a little unusual at the moment, they are sure to settle in the ensuing months, albeit with a few adjustments here and there. 

A Winter Walk

   

 When things are not quite right one of the surest things to help get me back on track is sunshine! After many, many days of rain and miserably cold temperatures some beautiful sun came our way. So I got outside and I walked. Along with sunshine, walking is the other thing that does wonders for my morale. Needless to say I enjoyed my winter walk immensely. 

     Life here is slowly returning to normal after my unexpected visit to hospital a month ago which was followed by a short time at home recovering. I can't deny that the experience threw me much more than I would ever have anticipated. I believed that I had a very good handle on life, with all its ups and downs, but this episode certainly tripped me up. 

     Getting out this week and going for a walk and feeling the sun on my face was so key to helping me get back on track when life has been feeling as if it's getting out of whack. Taking time to reflect, create and garden are other activities which nourish my soul. My arm's still not strong enough for heavy gardening but I do hope to get in some more reflection time and creativity in the next few days.
     The other aspect which frustrated challenged me was that at times it was simply a matter of resting. No reflecting, no walking, no working, just resting. Which was all very weird when work sat untouched in my bag, my laptop lay idle and the carpet cried out for a clean. 
     In the meantime I have discovered that exercises do work and do make a whole lot of difference.
     Patience, my friend.
     So today I am very grateful for cheery, winter walks in the warm sunshine and I'm grateful for the unexpected beauty that appears here and there along the path. 

     And I'm grateful for the feeling of getting back on my feet. 

Navigating another pothole in the road

   Here I am, having not blogged for a while. I've been taking time off to deal with a medical issue that appeared out of nowhere. I'm still taking things easy as I recover. 
   When I was little I used to be scared of doctors and a myriad of other things. Throughout this very recent experience, I was surprised to see some of my childhood anxieties return. It was a very weird, dejavu-type feeling as I headed off to hospital last week. I felt like a four year old all over again.

   I was very fortunate to have family providing loads of support and I'm very grateful for friends who dropped in with flowers and homemade goodies. When family and friends have been sick I've usually been too busy to help out!! 
   Now there's some food for thought...

   My prognosis is very good. I know many people go to the doctor's and end up having to deal with much more than what I have come away with. 
   In the lead-up to the operation I found myself drawing on my anxiety-coping skills. It was good to know that having to learn those skills years ago has given me strength in other areas of my life many years later.    As I waited for test results I remembered to keep it very real. I kept in mind that this experience is part of the natural flow of life: ups and downs, challenges, joys, opportunities to learn and grow. I stayed focussed (OK, maybe not always) and I have learnt enough to know that I matter and it was OK for me to take time off from work (I have plenty of leave, so that was not a concern) and not feel guilty.  
   I guess you could say that I recognised it for what it was. Another pothole in the road of life.
   As I mentioned earlier there were times when anxiety did creep in. The little child in me lives again. As well, the post-operation time has been more difficult than expected. My arm has been sore and I've found everyday things challenging. Things like brushing my hair, picking things up off the floor, writing, having a shower and so on. I've been anxious about some of these smaller things more than the bigger issues.  

   On the bright side I am on the mend. I feel happy as some of the regular rhythms of life make a cautious return. Yesterday I made some sweet buns using a very simple recipe. It's been terribly dull here with winter rains and cold weather so it was a pleasant surprise to see pops of colour in the garden. I couldn't resist bringing some of that colour indoors when the sun came out yesterday afternoon. Last week I scheduled an afternoon to do a blog post. Just over a week later it's happening. 

As a friend explained the other night, you have to take care of your body and make sure it's OK. No matter how much I want to blog or organise the front room of our house, I'm learning that it can only happen if my body is ready. I think I'm still trying to accommodate this idea. How many wellbeing gurus cry out that power is all in the mind? I remember one yoga teacher once told our students that the mind is your strongest muscle.   I  thought that was rather profound and I wanted to display it in the classroom.

But over the last two weeks my body just wanted to sleep and rest...

Though I do believe that difficult times reap incredible growth and richness...

It's rather like going on a holiday to a first time destination .... great anticipation of the unknown... minus the sunglasses and photo snaps...And they speak a different language...

Mr S had a workmate over for lunch today. He got up early and cooked a small feast. I could hear him singing and joking around as he prepared curry pies, steamed buns, taro and corned beef. It was very plain to see - and hear- that he was in his element. He doesn't cook as often now because his nails are so bad and he's usually too tired from work. I think the last few weeks have been confusing for him as he grew up in a community where people did not articulate their health needs and concerns. Indeed, people in his community employ different but very natural-based methods and knowledge  when it comes to wellbeing. And as when one learns any new language (cf the language of hospitals and health practitioners and western science), it takes time to learn and accommodate new concepts and terminology.

It was very heartening to hear his joviality and see his brilliant smile filling the house all of this morning.

And to see that life goes on and good things continue to happen, no matter what!

Keeping it simple

This year I have not focussed as much as usual on simple living but keeping it simple still plays an important part in our life here.
We cook as much as possible from scratch, and this works especially well on weekdays and when the routine is in order. When the routine is out of whack, I succumb very quickly to cheap and nasty, but delicious, alternatives! This year I have managed to make lunch at home a lot of the time, so that is another way we're keeping our diet healthy and simple. I'm not so sure that it is always cheaper.
We've been growing vegies in the garden for a while now but this year the patch has not been as fruitful. In fact, we did much better last year planting out of soil that had been compacted and must have been sorely lacking in nutrients. At the moment, Mr S is picking the zucchini while they are small, otherwise they start turning bad the bigger they get. The strawberries grew well but I just didn't put in enough of them. Always learning!!!!
Our grapes were our biggest success and I can't wait until next year. It was really nice being able to share our produce with others. We shared with neighbours, family, friends and workmates. The only way we managed to do it was because Mr S covered the whole pergola in a net and we pulled down the plastic blinds around the sides. I think it also helped keep the insects out.
I consider my flower garden an important part of my simple living regimen. It keeps me grounded and puts me in touch with nature. I try not to use too much water and where possible we use water saved at the sink for the smaller plants. We hope to get a tank one day. We've also been saving the water used when washing the rice. Over summer I didn't get outside too often as it was too hot. As autumn comes I hope to get out there a little more.
The other way Mr S and I keep it simple is by not letting consumerism rule our lives. I menu plan while Mr S is very good at using up every last crumb in the cupboards. Yesterday he made up a couple of apple pies in order to use up the last few apples sitting woefully in the fruit basket. We both try to op shop and we both do fairly well at avoiding the mega-shopping experience. On Thursday we went to get a present for a friend at one such place and Mr S was turned off by the smells. He was right. I'm sure there was an overkill of what seemed to be plastic type smells which I had never noticed before.
So, there you have it. Our simple living journey will go on in 2016 even though my goals for 2016 do not reflect that.  We will continue to plant vegies and cook as much as we can at home. If the opportunity arises during the year, I would like to try my hand at sewing or soap-making. Other than that, I hope we can have a good life by organising our lives more effectively, making conscious choices about what we do and how we do it, and by being open to what naturally evolves day to day.

Goals for 2016

Driving over to South Australia the other day gave me plenty of time to think about my goals and where I want to go in 2016.

I had to accept that 2016 was the year I did not tick off as many goals as expected. Yet, upon reflection I realise there were good reasons for this.

I did not have as much free time as in the past. My role at work changed and it took me much longer to prepare lessons. I tried hard to do more exercise throughout the year and that meant less time for other goals.  There were times when I just did not have the energy and I simply had to put “life” on hold. 

So this year I’ve aimed to be more practical and more realistic about setting my goals.

I see my goals falling into four areas:

1.       Organisation: I’m not a natural organiser. I can be quite absent-minded at times. I need to plan so that I can manage what comes up each week. I need to ensure I stay on top of things, as far as possible.

2.       Health: I want to be healthy now in order to be healthy in the future. I need to be healthy now in order to have a fulfilling life. Ultimately, being healthy means feeling good.

3.       House: I want a comfortable, welcoming home. The tendency is to put house maintenance on the backburner while I focus on a myriad of other things. I don’t want my house to fall apart and I don’t want the mess to pile up so that my weekends are spent  tidying up.

4.       Me: I strongly believe in “me” time, possibly because I’m an introvert and I know that I function well when I get “me” time. Organisation helps me manage what comes up each week, but at another level, reflection and ‘time out’ are what help me manage my emotions and my inner life.

GOALS

Organisation

• Use Friday night to pay bills, menu plan and organise weekend and week ahead.
• Wake up early. Do small jobs before and after work.
• Make lunch three times a week.
• Reduce screen time. Make screen time more intentional.

Health

• Drink lots of water daily.
• Eat food made from scratch.
• Exercise three times a week.  (Must include yoga as a way to maintain back care. Run twice a week.  Ride once a week.)

House

• Do one cleaning job a week. (Usually does not happen. Think about how it could happen!)
• Get broken window handles fixed.
• Finish setting up front room.
• Hang up pictures.

Me

• Take time regularly to indulge, relax, enjoy: read a book, create/paint, work on my family tree, visit the countryside/beach
• Learn something new: possibly sewing or making soap
• Find a regular time each week to reflect.
• Go to a talk or a play (x2).
• Invite friends over or out once a month:  Keep practising those social skills which are too easy for me to overlook.

I have not included goals which are an established part of my routine.

I have included goals from 2015 which were not accomplished  or still need to be worked on.

I actually feel very good about my list for 2016. Being an idealist, I'm not usually so practical.  I've got to say that it feels achievable and it allows plenty of room to add goals should the opportunities arise. I do have a wish list of things I would love to do. It includes things like buying a new couch and rug for the living room, buying a decorative name plaque to put at the front door and having a weekend away. My practical mind can see that if I achieve what's on the goal list, life will be pretty good, even if the wish list does not materialise!

A lazy Sunday,

It's a crispy, cold Sunday morning but the sun is shining and deceivingly inviting. It's a lazy Sunday for us, but that's OK. 
I came down with another bad cold a couple of days ago so I am happy to take the time to recuperate. We're getting to the tail end of the term so holidays are just around the corner. Together with today's sunshine it's made me feel OK that I'm not doing a lot. I'm hoping that in a day or two I will be back to running around and getting more done. 

One of the highlights of the last week was making some invitations for a small party we're having next month. Of course, I didn't need to do them. A text would suffice but it was an opportunity to get creative, and so I did. In line with the vibe of the party, the design and materials were kept simple. I really want the focus to be about friends coming together. 
I found making the invitations quite relaxing. I think this was because, I had come up with a design that was so simple and the element of repetition meant I didn't have to overthink it. 
It also helped that all of the materials could be contained to one shoe box. I was able to work on the project over three nights without having to make a big mess and stress about cleaning it up each time.
The only downside was that I had wanted to keep costs down and I probably ended up paying a little more than necessary. When I got to the big supplies store there was very little choice available in the sort of paper that I wanted. In fact, had I done a trial run earlier I would probably have been able to adapt the design to materials I already had.
The photos I have do not show the final product. I ran out of the right-sized doilies but the idea is to wrap the invitation in a doiley and tie it with ribbon.

Again, I found that taking time to create was rewarding. I'm glad I listened to my gut feeling. Normally, parties and the like make me nervous. I really want to keep perspective on this event, keep it simple and ensure the occasion is warm and welcoming. I'm not a fancy cook but I am hoping to make it a lovely evening by focussing on what I can do rather than what I can't.
So back to my lazy Sunday. I'll put some washing on, check my weekly planner and tidy up a little. I've got  schoolwork to do and I'd like to declutter another spot in the front room-soon-to-be-office. 
I hope the sun shines your way today.

What I Can Do

 

 I don't feel well. I haven't felt great for a few days now. There's so much I want to do. I want to run. I want to garden. I want to create. I want to invite people over. Yet, I can't. I miss my days of planning and ticking off goals and tasks and feeling like I'm making the most of my life. 

   This morning, lying in bed and feeling too tired to get up, I wondered how to make sense of it. I've been reading lots of blogs as I haven't had enough energy for much else, but it has left my mind buzzing with stories of people who are running around doing hundreds of  things while I do nothing. 

   Then I remembered. Nearly twenty years ago, I was going through a slump. It was one of the worst times in my life and, back then, not knowing I had social anxiety, it was incredibly difficult to know what to do. I felt isolated at that time and no one really knew I was struggling. It was a time of transition. I had left a beautiful job and lifestyle for another one and it wasn't working out. In fact, the job was disastrous and I had to leave. 

   With no work, I used to sync my life with the TV. Oprah was on at 2:00 in the afternoon and after a dose of inspiration from her I would feel better about moving on with my day. One afternoon, still feeling very sorry for myself , Oprah was interviewing a young man who had lost so much and had so little. I was impressed to see how conscientious he was. It amazed me that he believed enough in himself to go to school, have goals and be determined to pass and go on to further study. 

   Oprah asked him how he managed to keep going. 

   He replied, "I just think about what I can do. I don't think about what I can't do." 

   Now those words have stayed with me. Very close to me. For the big challenges as well as the smaller ones. I may have mistaken the precise wording but I have never forgotten the lesson that young man taught me. I don't like to promote "big business" but I do want to acknowledge how important that program was to me at that time. 

I was so self-absorbed in what I couldn't do that I had forgotten what I could do.

   So this morning, I shared the story with Mr S and I realised that I need to approach my life this week with that in mind. It's frustrating not being able to do the things I love but there is still so much that I have and that I can do.

This week...
I can lie in bed while the rain pours down (not the whole week!).
I can see the sun shining over the park after the last downpour.
I can still try to keep up my water intake.
I can still try to be mindful of my internet usage.
I've got two lovely classes of students so I think I can still keep teaching without losing my voice and taking time off work.
I can make sure that I monitor my health and rest as much as possible.
I can prioritise what needs to be done.
I can dream about all those projects and dreams I want to work on when I do feel stronger!

Goals for April

My post labelled Goals for March is now Goals for April. Perhaps it would be more aptly named Goals for the Next Few Weeks, Reflecting on Goals for the Last Few Weeks.

These days I feel I'm getting back to a routine where I have more choice over what I can and can't do. My back's going well. My car's going well. Mr S's brother has gone back home. Holidays are over. I welcome the time  I now have to plan  and reflect.

Goals for March...and thereabouts

• I now drink more water. My drink bottle fits snuggly in its place near my seat in the car. It's spill-proof and easy to carry around.
• Getting up early. This worked well before the holidays. During the Easter break I continued to get up early to take Mr S to work. I've also been going to bed earlier. Hopefully I can keep up this new habit.
• Exercise. I've done a good deal of walking in the last couple of weeks and I have just started running again, that is for a few minutes. It certainly feels good.
• I'm really pleased I brought in time to create.  I'm still reaping the benefits and enjoying the simple changes I've made to the decor.
• Housework!! Ugh!!! I got Mr S's brother to vacuum once. Does that count as achieving the goal of one key job a week? I did clean the shower this past week. (My excuse is my back. It tires easily.)
• Reducing screen time/Increasing "focus" time. Overall I've been on the computer a lot lately. On a few occasions I've consciously chosen not to switch on the computer or TV. 
• Friday Bill Time going very well and keeping me on top of matters financial. 

Goals for April into May...looking ahead....

• Exercise. Walking and running three times a week.
• Drink more water.
• Get up early. Not easy now that it is dark and cold in the mornings. I am enticing myself with a chai latte this Thursday morning. I am not a morning person so I need to make it "pleasant".  Tomorrow morning I'd like to bake biscuits for Mr S to take back to work. Could be wishful thinking!
• No FB till Friday. 
• Listen mindfully. Need to do something concrete to make this a definite part of my life.
• Try, try, try to do one key cleaning job a week.
• Around the house. Take out house picture to frame and come up with the next concrete step. What do I need to fix it in place in the frame which is empty and waiting to be used?
• Invite a friend over and prepare something to eat, whether it's a snack or a meal.

 I think that's enough. If I can achieve some of these goals this week I will be happy indeed. It always helps when I have focus and time to reflect. I become more mindful of how I approach my whole life and I become more open and more aware of ways in which I can do this. So,  I'm hoping for continued, quality thinking time. Waking up earlier, my Friday evening routine and less screen time are definite ways I can achieve that. I also want to keep in mind one of my main goals which is to be healthy and that only comes about by working at it. With all these thoughts in mind I'm set and focussed for a productive week.

Two great purchases

March has been a good month.

I am now the proud owner of a new car. I have wheels and I can go places. It's nice to be on the road in a reliable vehicle.

As well as that, I am also the happy, happy owner of a new drink bottle and I have to say I'm very proud of it.

The car was not one of my goals for this year but it had become a necessity. I was not happy initially because I was all geared up to make a decent dent in my mortgage this year. Getting a car meant I had to divert some of that money, as well as incur a new debt.  Eventually, I had to give in and be practical rather than idealistic.

On the plus side, I was able to manage it financially. That does not mean I simply took the spare change out of my purse. It just means that things I've put in place before now, made it easier to organise. I have managed to build up my emergency savings and non-planned savings over the years, chiefly by not going shopping "just for fun", spending sparingly and sticking to a budget.

I didn't tell the car sales people that one of the most important things I was looking for was a cup holder. The other most important thing was a good radio. I am tickled pink to have both!

On the negative side my friend's husband was upset. He works for a local car plant and was not impressed that I had bought a "foreign" car. Aside from the fact that I didn't have a lot of time to do research (it takes me ages to understand technical talk), my instincts knew this was the car for me. It's small and economical and I really love having it. I know buying "local" is a priority but I also know to follow my instincts.

My other great purchase was a water bottle. It looks good. It works. I still have it. 

This is my fourth bottle in about two years. I lost a good one. The next one I bought was too hard to use when I was out and about and the third one leaked. That's why I'm so happy to have one that works. It's made it so much easier to drink more water each day which means I'm looking after my body better. Being healthy is one of my main goals for this year,so I feel like I'm finally ticking some boxes on my goal list.

I do try to buy ethically. I noticed  many people buy the steel bottles but I really want to see what's in the bottle. I got plastic but I did try to buy "good" plastic!

I have had to accept that what I planned for in my budget this year had to change. It's been another reminder to embrace what is, as is. Fortunately, what started out to be an annoyance is turning into a challenge I want to conquer! I don't like debt so I am determined to look out for ways to save money and reduce that figure as much as possible. In the meantime, I hope to enjoy these two great purchases.

Should I tear up my goal list?

I've been trying to get back to my blog schedule of talking about my goals mid-week. I was sure that with focus and commitment I could achieve what I set out to do but it looks like these holidays my plans are flying out the window. Perhaps I should tear up my goal list?
Just over a week ago I hurt my back and all my holiday activities were curtailed. I couldn't do much at all so that included no running, which was one of my top goals. I couldn't write and I couldn't work at my laptop for more than a few minutes. I could surf the internet and I could watch television but I've even tired of those activities.
It makes me wonder about making plans and trying to determine how our lives will be. I've had so many good intentions these holidays, many of which have not eventuated. I had hoped to visit old friends but one didn't reply and the other had to postpone till autumn. I've called friends to catch up on the phone but no one is home! I had hoped to blog regularly but Mr S and I were devoting a lot of time to job-hunting. 
Surprisingly I've been positive while finding myself beached on the couch. Health issues flare up every now and then for me and I've had to resign myself over the years to surrender and give in to the need to rest completely, after many years of ignoring what my body was saying. Back then, when I did start staying at home longer to recuperate, because I had no choice,  I used to get upset the first couple of days realising that I couldn't do what I set out to do for that week. I hadn't realised how tightly I had tied my self-worth into "work" and "achieving" or getting things done. So, it was interesting to see with this current injury I accepted very quickly that I would rest completely even though nothing would get ticked off my "to do" list. 
Yes, it does help that it's holidays and I've got support at home which I didn't have in the past. It's also given me plenty of time to see that while my prescribed goals are not getting ticked off the list, the world keeps turning and I keep learning and moving ahead.

• Each day, I've noted improvements with my back and celebrated small achievements. I was very excited when I realised I could walk again. The first day I was able to walk, I went with a smile on my face each time I took off, taking a few tottery steps here and there. Yesterday was exciting because I managed to sit at the table and do an email for the first time in a week.
• Mr S landed a job half an hour after I hurt my back. 
• Resting on the couch, for the umpteenth hour, I looked across to my precious bookshelf and realised that I'm ready to cut down the number of books on those shelves. That's one area I thought I'd never ever tamper with and yet, that moment has arrived.
• I caught another glimpse of the beauty of life from my couch one early morning when I woke and saw Mr S studying hard at the dining room table so that one day he can take a course to better himself. I was filled with admiration. 
• This experience has reinforced the challenge of embracing life as it is now. It's shown me that there are still highlights to be had.  One thing I've looked forward to in the last few days is a walk outside amongst the vegies. Sometimes I'm too busy to get out there and look properly but this week I've enjoyed my little wander and I've been able to take the time to notice what is happening in each area.

I can't help wondering what the point is in heavily scheduling memories when life has its own way of delivering what we need. Why don't we let life unfold  naturally? 
There seem to be gentle reminders that life does this anyway, no matter how much I try to herd it into my carrel of "The Perfect Life".   
I often hear people say they want to create memories by going to a certain place at a certain time. What happens to those people if they have a lovely moment with their son or daughter at the kitchen sink while doing the dishes? What happens if the kids have a barrel of fun running under the sprinkler in the backyard on a hot, summer's day? Is life only remarkable if we can plan for it and photograph it?

What does this mean for me? 
I guess it's another question to ponder. I know my goals and my list for each day are very important to me. I love returning from holidays and being able to share with people what I've done. I love celebrating all the projects I've completed. 
These holidays have certainly presented me with another way to live,and very little of that was on my goal list!!  What am I going to say when I head back to work next week?

Goals for 2015: Be healthy and happy!

My overriding goal for 2015, as I approach a milestone birthday, is to be healthy and happy, with particular emphasis on healthy.

As I age - yes, I am still young, but I can definitely notice my body changing in many ways - I want to make this a priority. It's easy for me to forget about drinking water or going for a run when work or the internet take over, yet for me to be truly healthy now and in the future, the exercise needs to be regular and happening NOW.

Being happy is just as important but I feel there is so  much in my life which is good and that is something which I can more easily work on at any time and any place. Being happy is a broad term and I suppose I really use it to mean wellbeing of spirit and mind, rather than wearing a smile on your face every moment of your day.

So to be healthy this year I want to commit  to

• running three times a week
• buying a "good" bike and going for weekly bike rides
• drinking more water every day

To be happy  I aim to do what I can do to enhance my social wellbeing (with SA that's something which I often avoid, tending to put my energies into personal pursuits), enjoy my house and garden and continue to work on keeping life simple and meaningful.

Social and personal wellbeing goals:

• listen attentively, focus on the speaker (not myself), be present, talk less
• make an effort to invite friends over or catch up with friends once a month, be active

Enjoying  house and garden

•  hang pictures around house
•  make two more, small fairy gardens
•  one new recipe a month
•  one additional cleaning job a week
• commit to planned routine time e.g. Friday nights bills and planning, a load of washing midweek
• spend time in the garden at least once a week

Keeping life simple and meaningful ( in addition to all of the above goals)

• take time to reflect and express gratitude on a weekly basis
• at the end of the year prepare and celebrate a simple, intentional Christmas
• watch pennies more closely, chip away at the mortgage
• sew; possibly try some bunting or a table runner
• planned computer time rather than using it as a procrastination tool
• blog twice a week

There are many goals but I've got a whole year to work towards achieving them. I tried to implement quite a number of them last year so in 2015 I just need to commit to them. I endeavour to live a life that is people-friendly and earth-friendly, as well as being simple and mindful, so such values need also to underlie what I hope to accomplish this year.

Let's see how it goes for 2015. I've highlighted those goals which need to stay on top and which will take priority even when life gets too busy. It's holiday time at the moment so it's the perfect time for making a start. No excuses!!