Happy New Year… eleven days late. I have once again failed to keep up with my blogging. No excuses, but it has been a whirlwind of activity. That’s nothing new, but it was magnified during the holidays. Work is still very busy and there’s a constant list of things to keep the pipeline flowing. There were extra gatherings and get-togethers. I’ve become more involved with my Realtor Association and Community. My daughter arrived for a 6 week visit from Japan. I took a 5 night family vacation. All wonderful things, but I’ve had to prioritize my daily to do lists. I still get disappointed in myself when any category falls short.
My 2023 goals might not look like your goals. They don’t even look like my own from just a few years ago. I write out my goals, both short and long term. Both business and personal. 
I did not make the typical list of resolutions such as: I will lose weight. I will be a better person. I will keep my car cleaner. This year, I made a list of 50 things I’d like to accomplish and put stars by the most important 3. Then I wrote out a plan to make those things happen. (Keeping the car clean did not make the top 3, but I will try to do better!) I also made a list of 50 things that I am thankful for.
One thing I’ve realized in the past few years is that I personally feel better when my house/office/life isn’t cluttered with things that don’t enrich it. That was a transformation from years past when being surrounded by ‘stuff’ made me feel secure and good. I’m on the road to being a minimalist. I’m definitely less into material items and possessions that don’t bring me joy and more into relationships and experiences. Every year after the holidays I go through the house on a mission to rid my household of anything that we haven’t worn or used in the past year. There’s nothing to inspire you to quit making unnecessary purchases than to donate piles and boxes of items you shouldn’t have bought in the first place. But, I also realized something else this year that made me very happy and also feel enlightened.
Backstory: For as many years as I can remember, I’d see Amaryllis bulbs in the store during the holiday season and pick one up to purchase only to talk myself out of it. In the early years it was because money was tight and we had children to buy presents for or needed extra groceries to host dinners during the holiday season. Some years I knew I wouldn’t have time to water it or that I would be sad to throw it away after it bloomed or I inadvertently killed it. This year, I found wax Amaryllis bulbs that you literally just take out of the box. All the nutrients are in the wax encasement. No need to even water. I couldn’t resist, though I wasn’t convinced it would actually bloom. Not only did it bloom, but it was absolutely beautiful. And then the blooms dried up and fell off and I didn’t have the heart to throw it away, though I knew that there would not be enough nutrients in the wax to bring it back next year.
Round 2.
My blooming Amaryllis
I did some research and read that many people choose to throw them away and buy another next year. I also read that if you cut the withered blooms, it would continue to bloom at least another time this season. And though there are not enough nutrients within the wax for it to come back next year, I can (and will) remove the wax and replant it in a pot I can water, feed, and enjoy blooms year after year.
My personal takeaway: Ridding my home and life of things that don’t provide enrichment allows me to be more productive and enjoy the other things more. It grants more time for what’s important. On the flip side, ‘Out with the old and in with the new’ is not a rule that needs to be followed all the time. If something does add enjoyment to our life, we can often find a way to nurture it and make it last.
Happy New Year. Wishing you an abundance of health and happiness.
