Hello, Sunday. Hello, 2016.
So here we are, with a new year. Some of us may be coming up with resolutions. My friends and I, we don’t do resolutions, but rather each year we think of a word- a word that we hope will guide us, in both thought and action, through the new year. Last year my word was welcome as in “I welcome all opportunities that may come at me with open arms”* and I lived it. In fact, I welcomed so damn much into my life that as I sought to come up with an appropriate word for 2016, all I could get were negative ones: No, restraint, filter, selectivity. Horrible guiding words. I mean, who wants to start off a new year with a big fat NO?
And so I came up with a better alternative: Balance. I’ve always considered myself to be a pretty balanced, even-keeled in temperament. I don’t overreact much. I’m pretty go with the flow. I balance my love of french fries out with an equal (ish) love of roasted vegetables. I think excessiveness is unbecoming, and I maintain a circle of friends sensitive enough that balances out my hyper-rationality. I’m pretty dorky, but also can be pretty badass. It’s a give and take.
Balance in my life though…that needs some work. My competitiveness is known to get out of hand (did I mention that I won my fantasy football league this year? Suckas!!!!!- Hmm. Case in point.). So have my workouts. My vacations have sometimes been described as “intense” or “extreme.” I’ve moved towards the middle on this in the past few months or so, saying yes to beach chairs more, and squatting over holes on mountains less. However, the one area that needs work is work-life.
I’ve been lucky enough for the past six years to have a job that really does nurture my European attitude on this that I’ve always wanted, but taking on the blog and blog activities the past 14 months or so has skewed work-life heavily to the work side, even though blog work is for the most part, fun work. Working Sundays is now the norm, and while I accept that as I want the blog to grow, it’s the reality of a part time blogger, but I need to do a better job. A better job of balancing out the things I want to do, with the things that I really should do, and the things to which I can say no and not feel guilty about it. Part of this is tempering my FOMO.
So wish me luck as I embark on a new, hopefully more balanced year. And if you’ve made resolutions, I wish you luck with all of yours.
*Licorice points out with a laugh that every year when I tell her about my word, she thinks I’ve turned into a new age hippie. And while I do make my own laundry detergent, I’m still very old-age.
SN: Did you work this week? I did. Maybe we’re the suckers.
SN II: I didn’t do a “favorite things I made this year” roundup because I just did one a few months ago when I finished the world. However, I’m asking you- anything worldly foods you’d like to see in 2017? Give us a hint in the comments below!
Written during frightful weather.
It’s totally awful that last night I thought “if I chose a word-of-the-year it would be nope”. It should probably be yes, but I need to be better at not caring about things that I simply don’t care about. Instead, I’ll leave it to you hippies to have a word of the year and I’ll keep doing whatever I like. Although, #justbelovely is working its way toward being a great motto.
I’m super pumped about your balanced year! I think it’s exactly what you need. More room for what really makes you happy (including being competitive with fantasy league) less room for doing things because you think you should. And of course, stumbling upon a hot runner in the park.
ps: cuuuuute glitter bulbs.
#justbelovely is a great attitude! I get it about the “NO.” It was a horrible first thought.
Thanks re: bulbs. I love them. Also, problem about meeting hot runner is that I have to run but we’ll see how that goes.
I can’t believe how much you cook, and you blog and you work, etc. You’re awesome! Happy New Year Chrissy.
You’re so kind. Happy New Year back!