As a listmaking enthusiast, the beginning of a new year is always an exciting time. There are so many possibilities for lists. Here’s a list:
- Home improvement projects for 2016
- Travel destinations for the winter months (No. 1: Key West)
- New bars to try in New Orleans
- Old bars we haven’t yet tried in New Orleans
- Also see: Restaurants
- Old
- New
- Fitness goals
- Cocktail recipes to try
Well, you get the point.
The past couple of years, I’ve gotten away from my beloved lists opting instead for a word cloud.Things like, “Abundance,” “Travel,” “Art,” “Creativity,” and “Music,” figured prominently, alongside, “Compassion,” “Slowing down,” and other more introspective concepts. Mark and I did that again this year for our shared areas of focus and it’s a fun New Year’s Eve activity to share over bubbly. Or in our case, flirtinis (Cocktail recipes to try: Check!), which we learned about on the Martin Wine Cellar Instagram account (click here for the recipe involving pineapple juice, vodka and champagne).
The word cloud exercises have contributed to a change in the form of my resolutions lists. Rather than resolving to “do” this or “don’t” do that, I took a broad approach. It’s a list of things I want more of in 2016. For example, I want more:
- laughter
- travel
- music
- writing
- hugs
- open mindedness
- time with friends
- and so forth
It’s of course essential to have specific goals and to refine those into steps, but when it comes to the big picture of my life, it’s more important to me to remind myself of my favorite things and the ideas and characteristics that are most important or that I want to cultivate and the ingredients that make them possible.
So, for 2016, rather than “lose 10 pounds,” I’m going to focus on moving more, taking more long walks, more dancing and spending more time outside. Rather than resolving to “clean out the storage area,” I’ll resolve to give away more stuff. I plan to “have an art show,” of my fine art photography, but it’s more fun on paper to write make more art.
It’s easy to guess after reading a few posts from this blog that while disciplined in many respects, I’m not really into the idea of deprivation. Abundance is the name of my game, so for 2016, it’s all about more. But it’s not about an abundance of things. Rather it’s about an abundance of experiences; an abundance of quality; and an abundance of growth. Living in New Orleans, that last one can affect your waistline more than your heart and mind if you aren’t careful though, so look out.
Cheers to an abundant 2016!
