Our holiday was a whirlwind that became a tsunami with twenty-three gathered before Christmas Day to celebrate and have a first-ever all-of-us picture taken, including our OES who was the best behaved.
Dealing with that many personalities was a challenge. The photographer had her hands full and did a fantastic job. Considering the drama surrounding it, it turned out well.
We all survived and the whole event provided writer me with lots of characterization and conflict ideas for future protagonists.
The tree is undecorated, bundled, and stored in the barn shed to await another year.
The treasured pinecone people and tiny village houses from my grandparents’ home are nestled all snug in their box and stored away in the closet to await next Christmas’s unveiling.
January 1 is the clear-cut start for another trip around the sun. Another 365 opportunities — 366 this year since it’s a leap year — to pause and think about how we can best use our time in this new year.
That usually means making resolutions or setting goals.
According to Forbes.com, New Year goals include quit smoking, fitness, finances, mental health, diet, work-life balance, more time for loved ones, learning a new skill, drinking less, meditating more, and traveling more. All of these are admirable goals and intentions.
The sad fact is most goals and resolutions will fail miserably and fail quickly. Statistics on how long New Year’s goals last do not put the New Year tradition in a favorable light.
Most goals will fail within 3-4 months. Only one percent of goals last twelve months. So, you’re not alone if your intentions peter out.
Give yourself grace when you do fail, “The beauty of goal setting is you don’t need a ball drop or cannons of confetti to signal a fresh start—you can recommit to your resolutions at any time.”
Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again, to paraphrase a song lyric.
Me, I’m going simple for 2024. Only one goal. Finish my new romantic suspense, DEAD BODY GIRL.
Frankly, I’m more than ready to settle into an imaginary world where the writer is in charge. 2023 is good and well gone, holiday stress is over. Time to move into 2024 with all its promise and clean pages.
What about you? Any goals or resolutions?
Along the way, we discovered a large pile of sticks. Alex had to find just the right one. It was a lengthy process. Theo had to have his own stick.
