Simplifying...One Day at a Time

I will admit I am glad to close the book on 2013. It was a year with many highs and lows. It was also a year with enormous milestones for my family.

Around mid-year, it occurred to me that by the end of the year, my baby would be in double-digits, my daughter would be a teenager and my oldest "baby" would be an adult (at least in the eyes of the law). Wow! I also realized that I do not always do such a great job of leading by example when it comes to my children. I often feel like I expect a lot from them, but perhaps do not give back as much as I am able.

As I face 2014, my goal is to simplify.

*I want to simplify my life.
*I want to simplify my home: move out the clutter and the things that I have kept while waiting for the perfect home to appear for them. I am tired of tripping over things that we no longer use and passing over clothes I know I will never wear again.
*I want to take control...of my life, my home, and my happiness.
*I want to be more positive and truly not sweat the small stuff: instead of just saying the small stuff is not worth sweating.
*I want to simplify the way we eat: slowly but surely, we are working on turning around our eating habits so we are just simply healthier.
*I want to simplify our finances: if we don't need it or won't use it regularly, we should not buy it. If there is food in the freezer, we should not eat out.
*I want to declutter my thinking: there are things I have wanted to do but haven't...it is time to put up or shut-up. If I don't do things, I am choosing not to do them. There is always time...if it's not going to happen, I need to accept that and move forward instead of having a list of, "if I ever get time I want to...".
*I want to appreciate the good things in my life: rather than worrying about what I don't have, what others have, and what I think I want. What I want is to sleep well at night surrounded by my loved ones.
*I want to remember to appreciate the amazing people in my life: over the last several years, I have lost some people I believed were the closest of friends. I want to be ok with this and let it go. When I dwell on these lost friendships, I am continuing to give them energy that I want to direct toward positive endeavors.

I think that's about it for now. Not ambitious or anything, right?

Happy New Year! Happy Decluttering!