Rounding up 2018
According to the somewhat confusing ‘laws’ of blogging this is the point in the year where I am supposed to round up and a reflect on all my achievements, assess whether I’ve achieved my goals, set new ones, and commend myself for having it all together.
Kind of laughable really. Even writing this down has my shoulders creeping into my neckline and my teeth clenching in horror. I tend to wing things a bit, so laying it all out there for my own, and public scrutiny, is a tad threatening.
My unstructured resolutions
I always avoid making resolutions at the beginning of the new year. I think it’s because I loathe feeling controlled. Resolutions feel like a covert form of self-control and I find myself kicking against them even before the celebratory bubbles, have lost their fizz.
Instead I prefer to start my year with vague generalised ideas that start with, “This year I should try to…” or “maybe this year I could…”
This way there are no time constraints and no commitments. I keep these thoughts internal, because a sure fire way to blow up any vague good intentions is spousal or familial pressure.
Looking back on those fuzzy promises to myself, I’m not too displeased with how this year has gone, given a few Universal curveballs batted in my direction.
- I thought it would be nice to try and be a bit more disciplined with my writing and write every day. I finished a novel, haven’t done anything with it yet and maybe I never will, but I did it.
- I had an article published in a magazine, no intention on my part, went on a trip with Ultimate Adventures, in Sept 2017 and was asked to share my experience. It was a thrill to see my name in print in the January 2018 copy of SA 4×4 magazine.
- On my ill-defined ideas to embrace change. I moved to a new city, and survived the challenges, social and practical. I have made new and wonderful friends and developed some skills in dealing with the awful Cape Town traffic and subsequent aggressive driving habits of the locals.
- .Fulfilling my vague idea to learn something new each year, I overcame my suspicion of all things technical and completed a basic blogging course. All credit to my tutor, who had no idea just how handicapped I was in this department. I’m one of those who really needs the digital equivalent of a paint by number set. Obviously improving on this will fit into the “It might be nice in 2019 to improve my blog site and my skills.” Of course no commitment.
- Following on from this I discovered podcasts, if you are raising your eyebrows right now, that is a big deal for a technophobe. Added benefit, it is a life saver in the deathly tedium of housework, something that got added to my portfolio when we relocated. Much more fun to listen to the experts on what I should be aiming to do with that finished book. Maybe in 2019…
- Acting on the hope to spend more time in my garden, I took apart my newly landscaped garden that I hated. I felt like I was living on the set of Jurassic Park. The brief of waterwise /indigenous got lost in translation and I landed up with an agave plantation. In the space of a year, I have turned it into a tiny reflection of the bounty of indigenous flora. A much more fitting tribute to living in one of the richest floral kingdoms in the world.
- I spent a lot of time in airplanes, thanks to those curveballs. I now commute regularly between Cape Town and Durban. Not quite what I meant when I thought “It would be nice to travel more in 2018″, but it does afford me time with precious family and friends.
- I’ve streamlined my packing skills, expanded my tolerance for the unexpected, a useful skill when hanging onto your sanity in an airport. I did manage to squeeze a trip to Spain into the year and a little local travel too. Who knows in 2019 it might be nice…
So before I wish you all happy plotting of your own aims and aspirations for 2019, I will just finish with this.
My one real Resolution for next year
One thing in 2019 is non- negotiable. I will live in the moment and enjoy every second of whatever I’m doing, whether it’s prancing behind the vacuum cleaner listening to the Creative Penn podcast, or writing in my journal at the airport because my flight is delayed.
Memories are what link us to our past and pave the way into the future, this year has shown me how vital those memories are and we make them when we embrace our lives as it’s happening. It’s also our strength when times are tough.
Watch out friends and family, we are going to be making memories.
Wishing you all a wonderful, memory rich 2019
brenfinding5th.com 