Hello friends!!  Welcome to 2017!  Now that we are a few weeks into the new year, how are things going for you so far?  I have been procrastinating terribly and putting off so many things.  Such as this blog post.  I am so awesome at procrastinating that if there were an award for procrastinating, I would surely win it! Okay, enough procrastinating and on with this blog post!!!

So!  Two weeks ago, on a Saturday afternoon,  I did something I don’t normally a lot in the winter.  I went outside.  Willingly!  Me and the cold don’t really get along, but I was not ready to put away the Christmas decorations and I needed a break from snow shoveling.  So I went for a walk and took my camera (and cell phone so I could take a few pictures for IG). It was pretty nice actually, until the wind picked up. Then I had to worry about snow falling off the trees and onto my head. LOL  When you live by the water like I do, the snow doesn’t stay on the trees for long. There has been nowhere (in walking distance) to see snow covered trees since then.  The photos you see in this blog post are from that walk.  

This week’s blog post is all about my “NOT” New Year’s Resolutions.  Because they aren’t resolutions. They are things that I have been trying to do and continue to do on a daily basis for my own health, well-being and sanity.  Some of these will probably overlap.

1.)  Exercise and be healthier – I’m not exercising to lose that last ten pounds. Although that would be nice.  I try to exercise because it’s good for me. Especially since I’m not 30 anymore.  Or 40.  It’s good for my heart and lungs and soul; and sanity.  I need more sleep, well a better quality of sleep than I am getting right now.  And, I should be drinking more than one glass of water a day.  Does decaf coffee count?

2.)  Get outside into the fresh air more – This time of year I spend way too much time inside.  It’s too cold. It’s too windy.  I’ll get an earache.  But in the winter it’s even more important to get outside, if only for a short period.  We need that vitamin D!  The rest of the year my excuses are: it’s too cold, it’s too windy, I might get an earache, it’s raining, and my favourite, there are too many flies!!

3.)  Let go of all the hate and negativity and worry and just live in the present – I think this one speaks for itself.  I often spend too much time worrying. Especially about the future.  I have to let go of things I have no control over and give the power to things that I can.  Like standing up for myself if need be. And, alongside my husband, teaching our girls that they are just as important as anyone else and they can be anything they want to be.

4.)  Take more pictures – Yes, I am a photographer.  I still find it hard to say that sometimes.  I guess it’s the imposter syndrome speaking and I know I shouldn’t listen to it. KrisWithaK wrote about this recently here www.withakwriting.com/blogwithak.   I sometimes go days and even weeks without picking up my camera.  I don’t always have it with me when I’m out, so now that I have a cell phone, I can at least snap something that interests me.  This time of year I sometimes feel like I have nothing to take pictures of.  This year I’m going to start looking harder.

6.)  More reading, less screen time – Oh!  Where was I? Sorry, Internet scrolling again.  I really spend way to much time mindlessly wandering the… oops, there I go again.  It sets a terrible example for my kids.  And it’s turning our brains to mush.  This year I pledged to read 50 books at www.50bookpledge.ca.  Last year I read 26 books, which was pretty good compared to the less than ten I had read the year before.  I know 50 is a pretty lofty goal but I have one read already and I am currently listening to “The Princess Diarist” by Carrie Fisher and I am reading ” The Other Widow” by Susan Crawfield.  I’m planning on finishing them both in the next couple of days.  I am also reading through “A Beautiful Mess” (photo idea book) to get some great photography ideas and inspiration.  Are you reading anything interesting at the moment?

7.)  Stop comparing myself to other – Again, the imposter syndrome.  I’m nowhere near as good as… and I never will be.  Well so what!  I’m only as good as I choose to be.  I’m the one in control of the photos I take.  I’m the only one that can show my point of view. There is only one me!

8.)  More decluttering, planning and organizing of my house, my time and my mind – I struggle with this on a daily basis and I really wish I didn’t.  But only I have the power to make my own destiny!  I’m the one who has to take control of my life and make things happen. I also have to do the work.  It’s not going to get done with the wave of a wand.  Although we all wish it could.

9.)  Do more of what makes me happy – More of spending time with family and friends.  More time reading.  More time taking pictures.  More time inhaling happy thoughts and exhaling all the negative ones.  Even if its just a few minutes a day. Is there something you do that makes you happy?

10.) Stop procrastinating (or at least, less procrastinating) – YES!!  PLEASE!!  This is why it has taken me so long to write this post.  Watching television, watching Netflix, web scrolling, etc.  You get the idea.  If not for the wonderfully supportive group I am in at Sunday Society (www.blacksburgbelle.com), I would get nothing at all done.  I really wish I could procrastinate my Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Email/Website scrolling. Maybe there’s an app for that?