Happy New Year!

I’ve always sort of thought New Year’s was an overrated holiday.  There seems to be this big build up to the countdown, 10, 9, 8, …. 3, 2, 1 then HAPPY NEW YEAR! and then…that’s that.  Kind of anti-climactic, maybe?  Also, true confession here – I used to really hate New Year’s Eve when I was single and not in a relationship.  I remember going out with friends to some big party or special event and then wanting to hide in the bathroom at the countdown because I felt really lonely when everyone else was hugging and kissing to ring in the New Year and I didn’t have a special person to share that first kiss of the New Year with…YUCK!  Why does that even have to be a thing on New Years?!  That was over 20 years ago but I still remember how awful that felt.  Now I can barely make it to midnight. I honestly can’t remember the last time I actually watched the countdown.  Boy I’m getting old, I guess.  Or maybe wiser!?  I want to get the most out of my New Year’s Day and going to bed well after midnight doesn’t help me to do that!

One thing I do like about New Year’s is taking a moment to evaluate how I did toward my goals in the prior year and what things I would like to accomplish in the coming year.  Not really resolutions but more like an annual report in my head on the state of Jennifer and a strategic business plan for myself.  Last year I followed the advice from one of my favorite podcasts, Happier with Gretchen Rubin, and made an 18 for 2018 list.  A list of 18 things I wanted to accomplish in 2018.  I confess – I had socked that list away in a drawer but I pulled it out this morning and I was pleasantly surprised with how I fared against my list.  No – I did not do all 18.  I have a few that seemed like good ideas at the time and now I look at them and wonder – what was I thinking?  Others I’ve made some progress on but didn’t entirely finish and a good number of them I could happily cross off!  There are a few I’m going to carry over into 2019.  I like my list from 2018 – even though I didn’t get to do it all – it was a good mix of achievable goals and a few stretch goals and even a few silly, fun ones, like learn to play the ukulele!  Which by the way I didn’t get to in 2018 but I’m carrying it over to 2019!    Who knows, by this time next year, maybe I’ll be able to play Auld Lang Syne on the ukulele at the next New Year’s Bash to ring in 2020 (doubt there will actually be a New Year’s Bash but I do feel confident I can strum a tune on a ukulele by then)!   It’s good to have goals, to have something to look forward to and something that feeds your purpose in life. What do you hope to accomplish in 2019? I hope it’s something wonderful!