Welcome 2017! You will either be the year that turns this ship around, or burns everything to the ground. Either way, we welcome this fresh start with open arms. Don’t you just love a fresh start? We here at E&N are old enough to know that resolutions don’t always work for everyone, but we still embrace the idea of the blank page of a new year to help us reflect and make some changes to (hopefully!) better ourselves. What do we have in mind?
Pamela:
One of the things that I often do at the beginning of the year is start some deep cleaning, and purge my house of things I don’t need or that are not being used anymore. This year I am focusing on my closet, dressers and jewelry…… so basically my whole wardrobe. I recently discovered the Be More With Less website and hope to use her method of closet cleaning, which is taking everything out of your closets and drawers and putting it all on your bed and then sorting it all into piles. A pile of things you LOVE- you wear them often and they fit you and your life really well, a pile of things that are a MAYBE – you want to keep it but you’re not yet sure why, a DONATION pile – things that don’t fit or haven’t been worn or used in a very long time and a pile for the TRASH – things that are just not in good shape anymore and therefore don’t ever get worn or used. This method has me a little (A LOT) freaked out, but I really feel like it could help me navigate this closet cleaning process and in the end figure out of all that I do have, what are the things that I really love. Wish me luck…. I imagine with the amount of tee shirts I own, I’ll need it.
Lyn:
Doesn’t it seem like years are flying by? 2016 was rough–on a number of levels–but it still seems like it was just New Year’s Day 2016 five minutes ago. One of the things I want to focus on this year is to look at life on a more comprehensive scale. Right now–I’m very day to day. As a result of this practice–I totally overschedule life–yet can’t figure out why it’s happening. I started using a planner–the old school write it down kind–last summer and it really brought some clarity. I thought I was starting to lose my mind–advancing age, obviously–but really–it was too much to try and remember in my head. I’m bad at putting things into an online calendar–and even worse at checking one. After Jess’ bullet journal post, I decided to upgrade my 2017 planner to one that allows me space to write more notes and look at the week, month, year at a glance. My goal is to be more thoughtful with how I schedule my time. I don’t want to plan trips back-to-back-to back and I don’t want to miss things because I’ve already committed to something else. It’s going to be quite the change–but I’m ready for it.
And I also want to clean out my closet…
Jess:
Here’s what I’m working on: being less of a disaster. Doesn’t this sound like an impossible, overwhelming mountain?? I always feel “too busy” or “to messy” or “too late” or “vice president of the over-scheduled club” or just generally like one of those used car arm-waving inflatable tube guys. This is becoming stressful; I am coming to terms with the fact that I don’t like feeling this way, but change is hard! So I’m taking the advise of my good friend Annie and trying her #tinychangeninja challenge. The idea is that you don’t do any massive overhauls, but rather tweak a thing here, a thing there, until before you know it, a new habit has formed and you didn’t even notice! I’ve been working on: 1) Trying to be better about not having tons of shit in my car- I did a major clean out last Fall, and now I’m trying to be good about removing whatever garbage and hoodies and water bottles I brought in daily, before it becomes a problem. 2) Leaving just 5 minutes earlier for work, which is harder than I expected, but when I do it, it feels really good to not be freaking out at every red light or rafter of turkeys crossing the street (I literally just learned that a group of turkeys is called a rafter, btw) that slow me down. 3) Putting away my phone more. So far I’ve been pretty good at keeping it away during dinners out with friends, but it still creeps out toward the end of family gatherings and group hangouts, and too often before bed, so I’m just trying to be aware of it for now, and asking “what am I even looking for?” If the answer is “…uummm…..?” then I put it away.
And yeah, my closet? I have a pile of jeans… I don’t even know what decade they came from.
What about you? Did you make any resolutions, or plan to make any changes? How’s your closet? Tell us in the comments!!
a. I am LOVING that a gaggle of turkeys is actually a “rafter”
b. I reallllly need to do this with my closet, Pam
c. and OMG Lynn…if you find a way to quit accidentally booking trips back to back because “it seemed like a good idea at the time” let me know!
Love you ladies!
Always that rafter on Old Sauk!! 😀