Thoughtfulness

Last January, I posted about my preference to assign a word to a year, instead of specific resolutions. Last year’s word was Re-connecting.

A year later, let me say that I did pretty well in my attempt to Re-connect in 2011. Not only did I re-connect with some friends and family members, I re-connected with very old hobbies, such as sewing, and a newer one – spinning. I also wrote 39 blog posts.

What I learned is that (a) Facebook is a marvelous tool for keeping in touch with family and friends (and the only reason I am on it), (b) I enjoy writing on my blog when I have something to write about, (c) some people just don’t want to keep in touch forever, and (d) I do not have as much time to spend on totally “me” activities as I thought I would.

Now it is 2012, and blame it on my many years of working under tight deadlines, but I find that I often don’t relax, and I mean really relax – take a deep breath, slow down and enjoy the moment. Thus, Thoughtfulness as the focus in 2012 is intended to modify that. What does that really mean? It means that I want to discover how to slow down my brain; think about what I am doing in the moment, and not so many steps ahead of myself.

It will require discipline and practice. The discipline part is mental, in that I just have to work on managing my thoughts and focusing. Yoga and exercise will achieve the practice part. Although I work out frequently now, increasing that and adding some meditative yoga to my routine will be beneficial.

Yes, I have very specific reading, knitting, spinning and sewing goals, as well as some new activities to learn, but those are for another day, another post. In the meantime, Happy New Year!