Don’t Drive Yourself Crazy Preparing for Next Year. Enjoy the End of This Year First

I hope everyone had a very merry Christmas (or non-Christmas if you don’t celebrate it) and are enjoying some quiet time before the new year kicks off next week. Just like every year, I can barely believe that the year is nearly over and that next year is about to start.

Speaking of next year, this past month has bombarded me with information about starting 2019 off right and needing to plan ahead so that I can hit the ground running for the Best.Year.Ever! I have also been told that I need a theme for 2019. My favorite is the idea that next year will be ruined if I don’t plan right now. What I hear is that, on top of being busy with last minute gifts, cooking for Christmas dinner, spending time with family, and still living my regular life (working full time, keeping the house clean, the dog fed and walked, and the chickens fed), I have to plan ahead with a theme and a 20 step action plan to make sure I accomplish all my goals for once? HA!

Right here, right now, I give us both permission to ignore that advice. If you have the energy and desire to plan ahead and think of what you want to accomplish next year, go for it! You do you! But if you’re like me, don’t worry about it. Coming up with some ideas on January 1 versus coming up with some ideas on January 7 won’t make a difference in your year. Think about it, having your list of goals and your theme and your action plan ready to go on day 1 versus day 7 out of 365 days total is nearly negligible. Heck, you don’t even need a list of goals or a theme or an action plan! There are plenty of people who don’t do New Year’s Resolutions. Personally, I go with some concrete goals that I want to accomplish, but I’ve never had a theme (I’ve never had a theme for anything – my wedding, the baby shower I hosted, my life).

The point is, enjoy the end of 2018. Recover from the holidays. 2019 will be here soon enough as it is and we can face it then. Right now, enjoy the quiet time between Christmas and the New Year. If you want to find me, Way Pup will be squishing me on the couch as we watch movies and eat popcorn.