It’s been fun to read my way around my personal blogosphere and see how people celebrate and mark the new year. I’ve enjoyed reading about the decision to make resolutions or to consciously avoid them. I’ve read about ten-year plans and lovely traditions. I’ve been inspired by simple goals and ambitious desires for real change. I liked this idea over at Simple Mom a lot-the concept of monitoring personal satisfaction with life appeals to me. I especially love the idea of NOT making resolutions just because the date has changed. Several of my pals expressed similar thoughts about the new year, and I think it is smart.

The other thing that resonated for me about the post from Simple Mom is that January is not a time of big action for me. Here in the temperate area where I live, it is a time of darkness and cold. Because of that (and I recognize that this will be different depending on where folks do live) it tends to be a time of quiet, of rest after the holidays, of waiting and gathering strength. Spring and fall are definitely the times of doing new stuff.  

So, while I do have a new personal blog for myself about my relationship with money and material things, and I have made some necessary new plans in that area, I’m pretty happy with my life. My relationships are sound, I have things that bring me joy, and I have things that challenge me.  Of course I’m always irked about being “obese” on the BMI scale (Really, who came UP with that?), and I always want my house to be a little cuter and cleaner, but those thoughts are not new for this year, and neither of them is critical enough for me to completely change direction about. I already spend as much energy on those things as I’m willing to right now. That may change in the future.  For the most part,  I’m just trying to stay the course. I work to recognize the good in my life and maintain a kind of equilibrium between feeling satisfaction with myself and the world while still living with a sense of curiosity and engagement. I call that doing my best.