This year I plan on using a guiding word rather than have resolutions. In the past, I have used resolutions to guide me throughout the year; they were actually a list of attainable things. I have been able to complete some, others have taken a detour or hit the stop sign. And other projects merged into main stream taking over life. It wasn’t fulfilling; it was too narrow. Do this and that and nothing else.
My guiding word this year is EXPLORE. It fits my personality type perfectly. Exploring allows me the freedom to examine, think, decide, toss, and chose whatever it is I am exploring. It allows me to slow down rather than rush and do it on the fly. I can look at the details which I love to do.
Explore allows me to be inside and outside doing many things I want to do and enjoy doing. I do not want to feel that I need to be meeting deadlines all the time. I want to wake up each morning and choose what I want to do. I spent too many years meeting deadlines and want to move away from that.
Explore doesn’t mean getting into new areas though it did cross my mind. Spinning, weaving, machine knitting all called at me. I had to say whoa. I can’t add to my existing collection.
Explore means getting into what I am doing, try new techniques, take classes on what I am doing, explore the internet for some techniques, and to do what ever it is I am doing to the best of my ability. Until all the fabric is used up, there cannot be anything new. I know that. Explore means getting into what I am doing, trying new techniques, taking classes, explore the internet, and do what ever it is I am doing to the best of my ability. Until all the fabric is used up, there cannot be anything new. I know that.
I have four areas I am looking at:
Lifestyle:
A big one for us. More hard core than other areas.
We want to be free to travel, read, enjoy our grandson, garden, and do whatever hits our fancy.
Monitor our eating habits and activity level as I am insulin resistant.
Declutter and purge what we don’t want in our lives. Simply bring in the tubs, go through them, donate or sell and move on. Live in a simplistically styled home.
Sewing:
Explore techniques, patterns, ideas, and what ever else comes my way in the area of garment sewing.
Three times a week for no more than 3 hours a day.
Use up the stash. Buy only what is needed to finish a project or a collection
Limit sewing for others to one or two items per year.
Crafts:
Sew up the fabric in the craft tubs and decide if the items will be used in our home, be given away, or sold cheaply at craft bazaars.
Twice a week for no more than 3 hours a day.
Buy only what is needed to complete a project (zippers, thread, pillow forms, batting).
Work through learning how to use 5D Embroidery. Use up thread on hand.
Knitting/Crocheting:
Work through the tub of yarn as best as possible. Socks, sweaters, headbands, hats, mitts, afghans are on the list.
Learn how to use the Bond knitting machine I purchased. If I like it, then look for a another machine.
In Conclusion:
Balance up our lives so we can be free to do as we want when we want. The only given is lifestyle.