Underway

It’s just after noon on the first day of 2015.

I slept in later than I’d planned, but loved it. Then there was play time and petting time with the dogs, who have felt terribly neglected lately. Coffee time and computer time go together: lots of new year wishes, a few turns at the word game I play on-line with sisters and friends, and several Emails to read and respond to.

I spent a half-hour with an exercise tape, trying to keep up with a presenter who is much more flexible – and much more enthusiastic – than I am. That makes fourteen days in a row I have managed to do that, though. That’s a personal record that I hope to continue on into this new year.

I spent a few minutes with my new day book for 2015. I thought it would be perfect for me, with my crazy desire to write down everything that I do, or want to do, or think I should do. It arrived by Federal Express yesterday. Already, I think it’s too much. A day planner should not require ten pages of instructions! I don’t have time to sit down  to decide “what are the MAJOR outcomes for this week” and “what creative ideas will help improve the overall quality of my life this week.” All of that comes after spending thoughtful time choosing “Areas-of-Focus” and goals to consider in 18 areas under five different category headings, and converting general insights into “measurable action items.” I’m exhausted already! I don’t want to delineate “completion steps” that are required to complete the outcomes I’ve selected, or rate personal priorities and other priorities from urgent plus important to important but not urgent to urgent but not important. My big decision now is whether I can make room for this large planner on my messy desk, and just ignore all the extraneous activities it asks for, or whether I should just toss it and go back to my usual Day-Minder. My biggest gripe with that one is that it doesn’t give Sunday a full page. Seems minor in comparison!

I am having homemade oat-maple-cranberry-nut granola with yogurt for brunch. There’s a pot simmering on the stove for my dinner, that will be a heavy-on-the-vegetables boiled dinner with black-eyed peas. I’m not sure what tradition holds that black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day bring abundance and good health all year, but I’ve adopted it. It has been my own annual tradition for a dozen years now.

Cooking black-eyed peas seems an easier method for success than creating a flow-chart of major outcomes. Now that I think about it, taking the easy way out is another tradition I’ve developed over the years. That could be the reason I’m not more successful! That’s okay. I’ll stick with what I know.

Less than one full day into the new year, I’m happy with things so far.