“A year from now, you will wish you had started today.”  – Karen Lamb

Hello there.  With the end of the year rushing towards us, it feels like it is time to start taking stock of the year that was and planning for the year to come.  One of the exercises that works for me is to ask myself what success will look like at the end of the year.    I am a firm believe in “doing the hard stuff because the time will pass anyway.”

My fifty-second birthday is in just over two weeks. (That number doesn’t look so daunting when you write it out. 😅). When I turned fifty, I said this would be my best decade yet, and I still believe it.  This year, I stepped out of my shell in an attempt to set myself up for my future.  Now, I need to make the most of the new skills and experiences that I have acquired. I also decided where I wanted to be by next April.  I am so surprised to see that opportunities are popping up that can enable the materialisation of those goals.  I shouldn’t be because I know that God has my back, but I can’t help it.   It’s so amazing.

In his book Atomic Habits, James Clear advises, “Be the designer of your world and not merely the consumer of it.”   At this point, I am grateful that I finally understand that I need to do this.  I have been a consumer of my life for too long.  I am also thankful that God has given me the courage and strength to keep moving towards my goals.  He has also blessed me with the opportunities to grow into the person I need to be to achieve my desires and goals.  There were so many times this year that I witnessed myself saying things and behaving in ways that I only dreamed of.  I still have a long way to go, but I am taking a moment to thank myself for all the growing I did this year.  I am very proud of myself.

Image created on Canva

2025’s words are “health and wellness” for me, and I am thrilled to have already started building some of the necessary habits I will need with my new mini-trampoline and stationary bike. It is going to be a good year.  I am very excited.  Financial wellness is also on the cards.  This year was a financial disaster, so I also have much work to do there. I am looking forward to the challenge, even though sacrifices will have to be made to achieve my goal.

Well,  that is from me for today.  Thanks for popping by.  Have you decided on your word for the year yet? Let me know in the comments.

Bye for now.

“Do something today that your future self will thank you for.” — Sean Patrick Flanery

Hello there.  I am so excited!  It’s Day 19, and there is only one more sleep until I go on leave!  💃🏽

Two Things I Am Grateful For

  1. My exercise bike and mini trampoline arrived today.  I am so happy.  I was so disappointed initially because I couldn’t find the screws for the handlebars.  Turns out they were already screwed into the area the handlebars had to be connected to.  I had a good laugh at myself.  I am really excited about building my fitness through 2025.  I am a bit nervous about the trampoline.  I have never owned one before, but I am looking forward to the challenge. I’m sure my body will be thanking me at the end of the year.
  2. We will have Christmas lunch at my sister’s house this year as we have done for the past six years.  It has become our tradition.  She was supposed to go away for Christmas but her plans have changed to we will be all together again. 
Image created on Canva

One Moment of Joy

I was so amused by how curious the cats were about the box the bike came in. They ripped into the styrofoam, and, in the end, they looked like they had created a white Christmas for themselves. This experience reminded me to always stay curious and that sometimes the little things give the greatest pleasure. 

I had a second moment of joy today. I finally found a mouse to use with my computer, and it is silent! What a pleasure! The previous two mouses (?) that I have had would lag on my Mac regardless of how I adjusted the settings. This one arrived today, connected quickly, and there is no lagging, and, as I mentioned, it is silent.

That’s it from me today.  I am looking forward to an earlier night.  Hope you have had an amazing day.  Stay grateful 🙂

Bye for now.

“We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails.” – Dolly Parton

It’s Day 18 of my gratitude challenge.  Today was a bittersweet day with sprinkles of sheer frustration.  But I made it through once more.  Definitely something for the grateful list and achievement list for today.

One Thing I am Grateful For 

I won a  Vaseline hat for my sister.  I was pretty chuffed as I had promised her I would try and get her one like mine, and  I did!  Whoop whoop!

Thrilled to have won a hat for my sister 😀

The Bitter and the Sweet

The company I work for is going through a significant change.  Too many have lost their jobs and the team I work in has yet to find out what our new team structure will look like and how many of us will lose our seats.  Today, I was told that two people whom I thoroughly enjoy working with will be leaving in January.  My heart was very sore.  The good news is that they jumped and were not pushed.  The best news is that they are moving upwards and not sideways.  I am so happy for both of them.   I wish them all the best in their new roles. 

At the same time, their team’s “change process” is essentially over, and everyone knows where they stand and what they will be doing in 2025..  We don’t.  I feel like we are in the calm before the storm.  One of the ladies was explaining to me what a rollercoaster ride the process was for them and how the anxiety can take its toll on you.   I guess the new year is going to have a rough start for us, and we need to make sure we have a sound support system to help us through.  

Image created on Canva

Change is never a bad thing, even though it may seem like it in the moment.  I guess the important part is how we react to it.  We need to remember that we can adjust the sails to stay on our chosen course. 

Thanks for popping by.  What are you grateful for today?  Have you been through a similar experience?  How did you manage it? 

Bye for now.