Greetings, dear readers! I hope this January weekend finds you in good spirits.

For me, there is something about the start of a new year that always seems hopeful. A page is turning, we get to restart, I get a new planner, and all those blank pages beckon. On a blank page so much is possible. I love that moment of just imagining what will be, even if I know most of what’s coming.

It’s the time of year when resolutions are made, some of which last no longer than the confetti from New Year’s Eve. I gave up trying to resolve to do less of one thing or another – “less” always sounds constraining. It says “You can’t have …” (Uh oh.) One year when I was trying to shift my eating habits I decided not to go the “don’t eat this, don’t eat that” route. Instead I decided to eat MORE – more vegetables and more fruit. And (leaving aside for now the argument about chocolate being a vegetable because it comes from plants) it worked pretty well. Loading up on fresh food meant that I was a lot less likely to over-indulge in carb-y, salty, sugary snacks. I ate better and felt more nourished. And I still made room for little squares of really good chocolate.

This year I am also resolving to do “MORE” – more of the things that are important to me, and more to build the way I want to live. I’ve found three areas where my intentions needed clarity and some attention. If you’ve been reading the blog a while, it probably won’t surprise you that one of those areas is my house. I still have work to do to create the home I know it could be. I did some thinking and drew up a list of need-to and want-to. I’ve started making my way through the things I need to do. Sometimes really small things – like take a load of boxes out to the recycle bin. Meaning that my dining floor is clear.

Like taking every bit of mail and random dropped-off things off the dining room table. And actually having a clean surface to work or have a meal! This may sound ridiculous to those of you who regularly use the dining table for it’s intended purpose; being single, disorganized, and likely to place whatever is in my hands on the nearest horizontal surface, I often have a struggle finding enough table top to drop the mail, let alone dine!

It feels really nice to see and feel a more peaceful, clutter-free life take shape. I will share my progress with you here – I’m giving myself permission to see this vision all the way through! I hope your vision for the year brings you joy and excitement, too, no matter how big or small your goals.