Friday, January 6, 2012

What's Ahead

I'm one for goals but not one for resolutions. I like to think that I am the sort of person who regularly examines herself and makes changes appropriately, not just on January 1st. That's why when the New Year rolled around I hadn't given a single thought to what my resolutions would be. I'm on a life time journey of change and adjusting. Don't like something? Change it. Love something? Do it more.

Thats me.


2011 was one of the best and worst years. It involved the hardest work and the greatest reward I have ever had and it involved the greatest fear and greatest celebrations I have ever been involved in. Unlike other years I will remember Twenty Eleven. It has been written down and earmarked permanently in my history book of life.

I expect Twenty Twelve to be even more. Challenging... Joyful... Testing... Celebratory... Learned. This marks the beginning of those years that go far too fast.

This is why I am so pleased I have a blog. Often I get to the end of a season in my life and I wonder why I blog. Do I share too much with the unknown world? Show too many personal photos of family members? Some times I get to the end of those seasons I feel that what I do is selfish. I take all of this time out of my day to write about myself. I think that what I have to say is important and perhaps someone else might want to read it. Selfish, selfish selfish.

Then I look like I am now at what lays ahead and I look behind me at the chaos, except that thanks to this blog I can make sense of it; I can look back and pinpoint memories, emotions, inspiration and milestones. Thanks to this blog I have lasting memories and a record of our lives.

Lately I have been feeling that I am spending too much wasted time on the internet. Lingering on my facebook home page reading about dinners, rivalries, beliefs. I am reading blogs I really am not interested in and always searching for new ones. Minutes and sometimes hours slip away. Not that I have all the time in the world, but 5 minutes here and there throughout the day hinders so many things. I will be focussed on something else while I walk past my laptop, I stop to check my blog updates, 5 minutes has past, Camilla wakes up, and then I have no time for what I was originally doing.

I'm not saying I do this all the time but I have noticed that it happens and its not something I'm happy with.


If anything, this is perhaps a resolution... a new way of doing life. I would like to be far more efficient with my time so that when I do have some spare time I can enjoy it not waste it. I would like to check all blog updates once a day and leave it at that. I mention the blogging because I do not want to give it up entirely, I love it and it is a huge blessing to our lives, but I would like to be more controlled with my time on it and use it wisely. I would like to reduce my facebook numbers so I'm only reading what I want to read. I would like to think of a blog post and post it, not think about it for days only to not end up posting it. I would like to have my lap top away during the day so I am not tempted by it. I would like to use that time instead in catching up on home duties, spending time with our daughter, learning more about crochet and a whole lot of other crafts, spending time with friends and going out and about Christchurch.

This year I also want to get more creative in the kitchen. I love to bake but have only started to learn to cook since I've been married for 3 years. This last year my kitchen didn't produce anything interesting. I had terrible morning sickness until June so we only ate take out because I couldn't stomach cutting anything or being near the fridge, and then I had a newborn so it was quick throw together stodgy meals - my specialty. I am aiming to make one new recipe a week (or experiment with an old one). I was given Jaime Olivers Ministry of Food cook book and it has blown my mind. Already I have changed 2 meals this week to include oils and herbs - something I never ever use (I know.)

So. Thats my year. More quality time and more creativity.

What are you doing this year?

8 comments:

  1. Good call about internet usage Soph, 5 min here and there definitely adds up. Feel free to test out new recipes on us!

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  2. I made a promise to myself years ago that any time I spent on the Internet had to involve me learning something. Since then I've read newspapers from all over the world, taught myself about things that happened hundreds of years before I was born, been inspired by blogs like this one and found gifts for people. The Internet is wonderful, but you have to challenge yourself to use it for good things rather than wasting time.

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  3. I've tried staying away but I'm addicted. Well I must be, I love it too much and used to worry about many of the things you have said too. Then I go through phases where I'm really really into it and then completely the opposite! I'm always checking when I have time but try to make sure I'm not choosing it over my kids while they are awake. So most Of my usage is when they are asleep. Anyway was going to say that another blogger mentioned once that she gives herself an hour in the morning and an hour at night or at the very least an hour a day. I read this and thought of her, it might be something you could do too?

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  4. Jamie Olivers Ministry of food CHANGED MY WORLD!!!! Most amazing cook book ever.

    I am going to spend more time on crafts and get more organised especially with knowing where money goes... sort of like where do babies come from... Where does money go???

    Also take your suggestion about finding new ways to express my love for Chris, this has led to my 365 challenge writing love letters

    Sezzel

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  5. Doesn't Facebook has options to select what you want to see? You don't have to delete people just turn off their updates.

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  6. Wow, hello Anon's! There are so many of you, I guess that's what I get for posting to facebook.

    Megan, Love your method.
    Sarah, I think thats what I need to do. A solid block, do it all, then dont think about it for the rest of the day. i'm constantly reading blogs throughout the day at this stage.
    Sezzel, Amazing. Love you new lease on life! Own it girl!
    Serious Anon - you can block people, but whats the point in that? Why have friends that are blocked?

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  7. I so get the whole blog thing - I had to put my computer upstairs in our bedroom as I was doing the same thing... it got to the point that Lydia would grizzle the second she saw me sit down in front of it. Out of eye sight means much more control...

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  8. Great thoughts Sophie. I think my boys have to put up with far too much of my back when I am on the computer. I'm working on that this year and I agree allocated time and once a day is the way forward. Great post. oh and I haven't joined FB for that very reason I already waste so much time!!

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