2018: Thinking ahead?

[Ultralight]

Though it may be trite, I often use the end of one year to reflect and to think about the upcoming year.

I consider what goals I want to accomplish and what plans I want to execute.

In 2018 I hope to:
-Rebuild the travel coffers
-Finish the remaining few Hermann Hesse books I have yet to read
-Work out regularly (a habit I have built up already this year)
-Walk to all destinations under 4 miles round trip
-Eat 5 servings of veggies a day (this is my biggest goal!)

Anyone else kicking around their 2018 goals and plans?

Please share.

[Yppej]

I have 23 draft resolutions. 4 are travel bucket list items, 6 are health related, 6 financial, 3 professional and 4 home improvement.

For years I've done 24, 2 per month, but I"m simplifying :)

[razz]

- learn and practice how to sing better
- complete a painting each month
- write my DGS a letter each month
- develop and practice the antidote to cruelty and wrongdoing by acknowledging and supporting all the good going on right now.
- practice THINK before I speak - is it True, is it Helpful, is it Inspiring/Important, is it Necessary, is it Kind. It is amazing how this practice has made me more thoughtful. There is a lot of room for improvement though ;)

[SteveinMN]

There's still an entire month before I need to think about this!! :)

But, yes, I've been thinking about it:
- Get the train back on the frugal track. We had a number of big expenses this year, some simply higher than anticipated (water heater, car repairs, etc.) and some just plain unexpected (surgery for the dog, new snowblower [didn't pay to fix the old one], etc.). I think we also got a little lazy in our spening (easier to buy something ready to use than put time into it). I want to revisit our budget and align what we're spending with what we want to spend it on.
- Finally get going on landscaping the property. Nothing major or dramatic. But I've been hampered the last few years with the question of whether we were staying in this house long term. This year we finally settled that we are so I can do some things which will take more than a year to look halfway decent.
- With gardening/yardwork going away for many months and the need for snow removal sporadic (and enabled by a snowblower), I have to find some consistent form of exercise I actually want to do.

And that's enough. Too much on the list and it's defeating to even look at it. Besides, who knows what new priority will need to be addressed that we don't even know about now?

[iris lilies]

These are more plans than behavior changing resolutions for 2018:

We will take at least two small vacations, “small” meaning no more than 8 hour drive and 3 days.

We may also, and probably should, take one big vacation. Morocco, Estonia, and Croatia are calling to me right now. I havent forgotten sweetana’s recommended tour of Thailand tho.

I made application to exhibit in Art in Bloom, the big floral show at the St. louis Art Museum where floral designs interpret works of art. There is a 50-50 chance I will be selected as a floral designer for that show. But if selected, that is a life long goal and I will have to rise to the occasion to put together a worthy entry.

I want to clean up and toss out the old broken greenhouse in our yard.

I expect to reach the number 50 this year in “dogs through our house”. It is a count I keep of dogs we have had since 1993, most of them rescue dogs in foster care, but some of our own. Perhaps we will have a party when that happens, a dog party. We need 3 more dogs to reach that goal, and we average 3 foster dogs each year although that will slow since we just took in another dog to be “our” dog. We can no longer accomodate 2 foster dogs at the same time.

Having just passed my final test for being a National Garden Club judge, I will now pursue Iris judging credentials and that probably means at least two training sessions out of my city.

[pinkytoe]

practice THINK before I speak - is it True, is it Helpful, is it Inspiring/Important, is it Necessary, is it Kind.
I imagine there would be a lot of silence if we all practiced this. I am still in BE HERE NOW mode so not thinking about the future too much.

[iris lilies]

I imagine there would be a lot of silence if we all practiced this. I am still in BE HERE NOW mode so not thinking about the future too much.
That is an excellent place to be, too!

[Teacher Terry]

Wow IL that is a lot of dogs saved-awesome! IN the past 13 years we have had 8 dogs pass through our house. I wanted to foster but DH said no because he gets too attached. So if we take a dog we keep it. A friend of mine does old senior Pom rescue most with special needs and I will have to ask her if she kept track of the dogs that have come through her home. She retired 20 years ago and at any one time she has between 8-12 tiny dogs. Some get adopted but most end up staying. Her house is immaculate with no doggie smell at all. It is amazing. Actually I am tiring of having 4 dogs at a time and we are down to 3 with 2 of them being quite old.

[BikingLady]

2018: #1 I will stop doing things that I "think" will make others happy, that they for sure must want and need me to do for them.

This is not to say I will not be nice to others...but I have always had a huge issue with: You need my help, you don't know you need my help, but I am going to help you! Maybe just once I will wait to hear if someone wants my help.

This is in the end I assume will make me a better person.

[Float On]

I tend to use my birthday at the end of February as my year beginning point. That's when I retreat and plan and make my list (equal to my new age) of things I want to do or experience in the next year.
But I also do the "pick a word" for the new year that has been trendy the last few years. My word for 2018 is "Beyond" I want to push myself. 2017 ended up kind of flat due to re-injuring the ankle. I need to work on me more in 2018.

[Teacher Terry]

My DIL is having a huge dangerous surgery soon and 2 out of my 3 adult sons are not doing well. So the motto for this year will just be to survive. WE have a 10 day cruise in Feb and will probably do another one later in the year or an RV trip. I will work on maintaining my weight loss and exercising daily. The walking is really helping with my sanity. I am grateful for my supportive husband and my 3 doggies. This year I am also mentoring 4 community college students who have obtained a special type of scholarship. They are hoping that mentors will reduce the drop out rate.

[BikingLady]

Terry Teacher, stay positive.

[JaneV2.0]

My DIL is having a huge dangerous surgery soon and 2 out of my 3 adult sons are not doing well. So the motto for this year will just be to survive. WE have a 10 day cruise in Feb and will probably do another one later in the year or an RV trip. I will work on maintaining my weight loss and exercising daily. The walking is really helping with my sanity. I am grateful for my supportive husband and my 3 doggies. This year I am also mentoring 4 community college students who have obtained a special type of scholarship. They are hoping that mentors will reduce the drop out rate.

Years ago, when I was going through a rough patch, I walked and walked; it was therapeutic. That's out now, so I substitute naps, wherein I can turn it all off for the duration. I have a feeling for what you're going through.

[Teacher Terry]

Thanks BL and Jane. Once 20 years ago when I was going through something really bad due to one of my sons I used work, walking and sleeping to get through it. It was literally all I did for 6 months. Everything passes in one way or another.

[iris lilies]

I often walk through issues and light problems, so yes, walking is good.

When I had a bad patch at work a few years ago, I watched The Sopranos beginning to end. I had never seen that television show. Because it was such a strong production, it grabbed my attention and held it. My mind would have wandered with lesser content.

Ah, it is hard when the younger generation is suffering. I hope all come put up n the other side well and whole.

[pinkytoe]

I am hoping 2018 will be less topsy-turvy but who knows? With DD expecting twins (medium high risk pregnancy) and our ongoing house remodel, I will be doing good to keep my head on straight. Yes, that is my goal - to keep my head on straight.

[Gardenarian]

Dd will be leaving home and that will be life changing for me as well as dd. Seems like it should be a natural transition, but I know for many parents and kids it can be quite fraught. I want to support and celebrate her growth, as well as this new stage in my life.

To support my own growth, I'll:
*Continue exercising.
*Make meditation a daily, rather than occasional, practice. Same for yoga.
*Civic engagement - trying to figure out how much time and energy I want to give to this. *Give more support to myself for creative endeavors. (Taking classes and blogging my efforts in painting etc. are steps I'm considering.)
*Cut down on sugar!
*Environmental activism - again, figuring out how, and how much, I want to do this.
*Continue to Kondo-ize my space. It's really a process of defining one's self - hard when I'm going through a lot of changes, but a good thing.
*I want to ride my bike for all in-town things, which means dealing with snow, rain, dark. I'm fairly well equipped, just have to get over some mental stumbling blocks. I never regret cycling, it's a joy, but there is some inertia there.
*Limit my work time. I don't want it to become a burden rather than a blessing.
*Swim outdoors whenever possible. It feeds my soul :)

[catherine]

We are closing on our new place in a week, so my big goal for 2018 is to figure out how to live with DH in a 700 sq ft home. I intend to really, really plan this. I'm researching small space hacks on the internet, I'm going to think through "a place for everything" when it comes to planning what we bring and where we keep it. I really don't want the place to be a cluttered mess, but it's very hard. I'm not naturally a neatnik.

In preparation for this change, I'm reading my favorite simple living mentors, like William Coperthwaite and the Nearings. I've also signed up for a weekly online course called A Year to Simplify Your Life (http://www.dailyom.com/cgi-bin/courses/courseoverview.cgi?cid=848&aff=&co=). I know I've had this wonderful forum as "Simple U." for over 10 years, but I'm just getting some structured reinforcement from this online course.

I need to really Kondo-ize, and try to practice behaviors that foster simple living in a small space, like making sure I put things away after using them. It's going to be an interesting adventure!

[Teacher Terry]

If your DH is anything like mine he will probably be the biggest obstacle. When I lived alone my place was immaculate. Enter my DH who can take things out but not put them away.

[pinkytoe]

behaviors that foster simple living in a small space
Regarding this, I am in the process of figuring out how to live in a 450 sf basement for a month while we demo the kitchen. Today, I went through every drawer and cupboard and boxed up things I haven't used more than once in the past six months and duplicates. I think I can get it all down to one cupboard's and one drawer's worth. Kind of a good exercise actually and I thought I had culled so much when we moved.

[SteveinMN]

If your DH is anything like mine he will probably be the biggest obstacle. When I lived alone my place was immaculate. Enter my DH who can take things out but not put them away.
+1 on this.

Though she will deny it vehemently, DW is a bit of a tornado in the house. Utensils left out after use, drawers opened but not closed fully (who does that??), coat/shoes/phone/her mail left wherever they came off,... Without agreement on the goal of no clutter as well as where things will go to prevent the clutter, I foresee a long skirmish.

[Teacher Terry]

Steve, your DW sounds very much like my DH. I never had crumbs in the silverware drawer until I married him>:(.

[SteveinMN]

Over the last week or so I, like many others, have been exposed to the idea of New Year's resolutions. Years ago I used to make the usual poorly-defined unmeasurable resolutions everyone makes: lose weight, exercise more, spend less money, get rid of clutter,... Now I make fewer but more definable resolutions; really more like goals. The measurement (success) is defined at year end by whether or not I made progress.

But it occurred to me after this long year that the typical approach to resolutions (including my goals) comes from a position of deficiency. That is, it almost completely ignores progress made toward similar goals in the past year (or longer):

- Sure, I want to lose weight. But I should not ignore the fact that over the last year I lost around 40 pounds.
- I want to exercise more, but I already am more active on a daily basis than I have been for years.
- Spend less money? Don't we all wish! But real life sometimes is not that way. We had significant medical expenses this year. All turned out okay but that was several thousand dollars that was not in the budget that we managed without going into debt (though it did dent the rainy-day fund noticeably). Undoubtedly, next year will bring other expenses we don't expect (or expect as high as they are). We track what we spend and correct it when we don't think we're getting our money's worth.
- Get rid of clutter? This year I seemed to cross a bridge about trying to reuse/recycle everything I no longer could use, realizing that the effort to find a non-landfill home for everything came at its own cost in energy (and sometimes money, which is not limitless). Further, the energy expended in "home-finding" could have offered a better return had it been spent in other areas of my life. I still don't like tossing stuff in the trash and I still am careful about what comes into my life because I know that, at some point, it has to leave my life. But I no longer allow it to be clutter for any significant length of time.

So...progress. Rather than feel like I'm starting from Square 1 on New Year's Day, I'm building on what I achieved the previous year. It feels much easier to succeed.

[rosarugosa]

I like the way you are framing that, Steve. I think the traditional resolution setting often sets us up for failure and self disappointment. Let's face it, we will always be works in progress (at least until we die), so progress is definitely to be celebrated.

[ApatheticNoMore]

last year I think my resolution was starting a new job and I did and gladly (finally some less dead-end work). Well that job lasted like 11 months through ever increasing hostility (which I experienced as abuse) whose reasons I would guess at, but could never really figure out (not a lot of communication going on - more often just on the receiving end of rage outbursts).

So it's hard to make any resolutions but looking for work. Maybe I will meditate and journal as well. Can I do that when I'm working, not meditating no, I was too tired AFTER working 8 hours and commuting another 2 and if I try to do it before work I consistently find myself choosing sleep. But I will gladly give it up when I have a job, but for now. I lost like 10 pounds last year (but maybe gained a couple back over the holidays - I won't lie :~)) and lifted weights 2 days a week at the gym which seemed to be the only reason I lost weight really, I still am trying to go to the gym twice a week.

[iris lilies]

last year I think my resolution was starting a new job and I did and gladly (finally some less dead-end work). Well that job lasted like 11 months through ever increasing hostility (which I experienced as abuse) whose reasons I would guess at, but could never really figure out (not a lot of communication going on - more often just on the receiving end of rage outbursts).

So it's hard to make any resolutions but looking for work. Maybe I will meditate and journal as well. Can I do that when I'm working, not meditating no, I was too tired AFTER working 8 hours and commuting another 2 and if I try to do it before work I consistently find myself choosing sleep. But I will gladly give it up when I have a job, but for now. I lost like 10 pounds last year (but maybe gained a couple back over the holidays - I won't lie :~)) and lifted weights 2 days a week at the gym which seemed to be the only reason I lost weight really, I still am trying to go to the gym twice a week.

Egad, ANM, I had to read this twice to see that you are now out of a job after nearly a year of having a new Job.

Is the boyfriend still in the picture?

well, here’s hoping 2018 brings you a job that isnt entirely dead end work.

[ApatheticNoMore]

I was at a dead-end job for several years, but because while it might have been relatively stable, it wasn't going to get me anywhere, while I working that job I did job searching on and off. And I finally found what seemed like a more promising job, which I started at the very beginning of the new year of 2017, but that only lasted 11 months of putting up with ever increasing angry and erratic behavior until well ... I don't have to anymore. So I'm now I'm unemployed and looking for work again. I am still with my boyfriend.

[catherine]

I was at a dead-end job for several years, but because while it might have been relatively stable, it wasn't going to get me anywhere, while I working that job I did job searching on and off. And I finally found what seemed like a more promising job, which I started at the very beginning of the new year of 2017, but that only lasted 11 months of putting up with ever increasing angry and erratic behavior until let's just say I don't have to anymore :~). So I'm now I'm unemployed and looking for work again. I am still with my boyfriend.

Wishing you well in finding a job in 2018 that's more satisfying for you, ANM!

[rosarugosa]

ANM: I hope you find a job that you absolutely love in 2018. That would be amazing, and I think it is long overdue.
I feel like I've got a new opportunity to figure out what I want to be when I grow up, and some of my other goals will flow from there. I wanted to and am already spending more time with my mother and sister. I want to get more walking time in, but I've been wimping out due to the frigid weather. I think I'll do OK with that one when the weather improves a bit, since I really like to walk.
I'll have quite a bit of home improvement work to do once the weather gets better.
Decluttering is a good winter project in the meantime.