It may seem that the middle of January is a strange time to post resolutions or goals for the whole year, but it’s better than the end of the month, right?
I’ve posted knitting-related goals for the last couple of years, and early on I was pretty solid at sticking to them. Last year kind of kicked my ass in multiple ways. I’m hoping that this year will not kick my ass quite so much, but with that in mind…
Goal number 1: Accept that things change and don’t let changes beat you up I say that last year kicked my ass but a lot of it was me sort of internally beating myself up. I felt like all the plans I made just sort of went downhill very quickly. Some of it was uncontrollable—I’d hoped to pay off more of my debt and save more money, but instead I had a minor surgery for which I have paid a couple thousands of dollars and am still paying off, not to mention the three MRIs I had in a six month span. Some of it was my own doing—I started working with a nutritionist and working out usually five days a week, and trying to stay committed to my violin practice, while also leaving the house to avoid completely becoming a hermit. Did I have to decide to work out more? Or continue taking violin lessons? No, of course not, but I did and I don’t regret those things. The part that bothers me is that I somehow forgot that I was human—”I should be able to do all these things!” was a common refrain in my head.
Maybe some people could do all those things and not fall behind on knitting projects or reading books or spending more time cooking or whatever. I’m apparently not one of those people. Or rather, I lack the manicness I think I would have to have to be that person. So this year I’m hoping to be kinder to myself and recognize that I’m making changes and doing things that a) make me happy and b) make me more healthy and if other things have to fall by the wayside, it’s okay. They’ll still be there. That said…
Goal number 2: Make time for knitting (almost) every day My knitting output fell off significantly last year. I hated that. I missed the busy-ness with my hands—there were some weeks when I barely knit at all and got a little twitchy. I still have two and a half baby blankets I want to finish, not to mention two more little ones born at the end of the year for whom I want to knit blankets. Plus I have tons of yarn about the house that needs to be knit. I’m hoping to spend at least 30 minutes knitting something every day. Since I’m still working out 5 days a week and still trying to make time for my violin practice, there may be some days that things fall through and I don’t get to pick up the needles. And that’s okay. (And then there are three-day weekends, such as the one coming up, where I can maybe get ahead of the average.)
Goal number 3: Shop the stash first I have a lot of yarn. Not as much yarn as some people, I know, but it’s a kind of overwhelming amount of yarn. Plus I have a ton of patterns that I want to knit and my queue is eight miles long. THERE IS NOTHING FOR WHICH I NEED TO BUY NEW YARN. (Unless I make it through the 2.5 baby blankets already on my list and want to start on one of the other 2 I want to make. But that’s a big “if” at this point.) I do have some stash yarn for sale if you’re in the market and if there’s something that’s really calling to you from my not-for-sale yarn page, let’s talk. Right now I just want to set everything on fire and start over, so there are very few yarns I’m unwilling to consider selling.
Goal number 4: Make note of something that makes you happy every day And then post it on Instagram, is apparently how this is working. I’ve been doing this for the whole month so far and two weeks in, this goal has had a significant impact on my life. Most days I wake up and think “what’s going to make me happy today?” Even if you don’t take photos of things or share those moments anywhere, just try thinking that first thing every day for a week and see if you don’t feel a bit more even-keeled. It sounds totally hokey but it’s really helping me keep things in perspective when I start to feel overwhelmed. Even if it’s just a picture of a llama chilling on the side of a road.
I’m working on making other changes in my life that will have dramatic impacts, so who knows how well these goals will work out in the end. But I’m going to keep striving to meet them, ephemeral as they mostly are, because I want this year to be a good year.
I *LOVE* your gratitude idea and may start doing something like that myself 😀
What you’ve written here for your goals could absolutely have been written for me.
Sometimes the hokey things work. I used to try very hard to avoid the hokey, but really, that was to my own detriment. I do that thinking of one thing a day that makes you happy. I think it’s one of the reasons I’m such a prolific Instagrammer. Sending good vibes though the interwebs. Oh, and one other thing: I was struggling to find a happy thing for this whole damn week, and then your email hit my inbox. Many thanks.
Here’s to making change, and accepting changes that have been made for us. Happy New Year!
Last year I felt so lost in my long list of goals that felt unattainable because there wasn’t enough time or I beat myself up over the time I required to rest. This year my goal is “time” as in savoring my time and enjoying the process. My process includes carpool (three kids under 6), my own schoolwork and weightlifting goals, managing my home and family, etc. Instead of falling off a wagon in managing my goals I’ve decided there is no wagon – only the journey.