I have to admit that when I was younger, it didn’t much matter to me if I celebrated New Year’s Day or not.  As I’ve gotten older, I started looking forward to celebrating the new year and putting more thought into hitting the “refresh” button.  For me, it’s not about making “resolutions” because, honestly, I never keep them.  It is about reflecting on the year behind me and setting “goals” for the new year ahead of me.  For example:  I’m going to cut out sugar forever…no…I’m going to eat healthy and make healthier food choices.  I’m a true believer that you are never to old to start something new that you are passionate about.  Whether it be changing jobs, starting a new career, taking on a new hobby; go for it and make it happen.  You will have your ups and your downs but as long as you are learning and growing emotionally, professionally, and spiritually, there are no limits in my book.

It is so easy to accumulate “stuff” and in a short period of time as well. Before we know it, that cabinet we cleaned out is jammed full again or the closet we once had organized, is overflowing with items we don’t even wear.   

Dive, Reflect, Discard, Reclaim:  Do a deep dive into every nook and cranny of your home.  Reflect on what needs to be thrown away or given to charity.  Make arrangements for those items to be removed.  Reclaim your space and make it your own again.  You might even want to do a more drastic move and switch up your rooms.  Your office can become the dining room or maybe your dining room can now be a butler’s pantry as an extension of your kitchen. Or maybe you want to add a dressing table to your closet so that everything is in one place when you are getting ready.  

Reflect on the path that led you to this point in your life:  You might have gained a new friendship or lost an old one.  You might be interested in the psychological aspect of what makes you tick.  Or how about your ancestry and your bloodline?  My brother-in-law got me 23andMe for Christmas and I was thrilled.  My 23andMe kit is in the mail as we speak and I’m so excited to find out my true heritage.  I have guessed my whole life and now in the year 2020, I’m finally going to find out.  

Rejuvenate:  This sounds like a sad story but it is not.  When I was putting up our Christmas tree this year, I was thinking about the years when I was single.  I was spending my first year and my first Christmas in my new house and it was just me and my dogs, Bear and Bella.  I was working full time, going to school full time, and smack in the middle of a bathroom remodeling project.  I was very much looking forward to taking a weekend to spend with just me and my dogs and that I did.  I cleared my weekend schedule, went grocery shopping, bought a bottle of wine and spent the weekend cleaning my house, putting up my Christmas decorations, and playing with the dogs.  My evenings were spent listening to Christmas music, watching my favorite shows, taking a long hot bath and pouring myself a glass of wine.  That Monday morning, I felt calm and relaxed and it was a memory that I will cherish forever.  I was alone but I was not lonely.  When things get hectic, recharge and refresh.  It will do wonders for your mind and body.