Do you have any New Year's rituals?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Do you have any New Year's rituals?
11
Fri, 01-02-2004 - 10:13am
There must be something about a fresh new start . . . I was cleaning out closets on New Years - the clock struck 12 midnight & instead of toasting w/champagne, I dug into a hall closet! Much more satisfying, let me tell you! I did watch my share of football, but that's about all the "partying" I did.

Do you all like to purge & organize at the beginning of each year? What rituals do you have to begin a new year?

I even did some decorating yesterday & used my drill! If I'd have known how fun using a power tool could be, I'd have done so earlier, LOL. Still have some pictures to hang, but my new window sconces w/scarf look pretty good. I also did something before the new year began that I'm very proud of: refinanced some credit card balances to a lower interest card and cut some "fat" off my expenses.

I always like to buy fitness magazines, too, at the beginning of the year. Went to the library & noticed a book on the popular bookshelf: "The Ten Smartest Decisions a Woman Can Make After Forty". I'll be reading that this week. Some of the decisions look easy & some may be difficult to achieve:

1. Make your life your own: Decide to Re-decide

2. Step into the New You: Decide to Change Your Life Roles

3. Make your job a joy: Decide to Revitalize Your Career, or Try a New One

4. The buddy system: Decide to Focus on Friendship

5. An apple a day: Decide to Stay Healthy

6. Take it to the bank: Decide to Secure Your Financial Position

7. Never too late: Decide to Be the Person You Might Have Been

8. Lighten up: Decide to Have More Fun

9. Why are your here?: Decide to Create Meaning in Your Life

10. Share your bounty: Decide to Give Something Back

Hope you all have a wonderful and fulfilling 2004! I'm looking forward to the changes this year will bring!

Hugs,

Kat

Katherine (Kat)

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Avatar for imthebigsister
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 01-02-2004 - 10:33am
Happy New Year, Kat! Hope it's a great one for you.

The "Big Sweep" will be going on in East Walpole this Saturday and Sunday. I love my house all decorated for Christmas, but it'll be nice to get everything put away, the table tops dusted and polished, the regular knicknacks put back in place, and the rugs vacuumed and floors dustmopped. The corner where the tree stands will look a little sad and bare; maybe I can find a nice decorative screen over the next couple of weeks to fill the space.

Wow - Lots to aspire to in that book. I may go looking for it this weekend. I'm in a really focused reading mode and seem to be plowing through and really enjoying the books I've been reading lately (and actually retaining info), so this may be a good time for me to dive into it.

Nice to hear from you!

Donna

iVillage Member
Registered: 10-15-2003
Fri, 01-02-2004 - 11:06am

Yes, love the idea of a fresh start.

“You can only grow if you’re willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.” -Brian Tracy
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-27-2001
Fri, 01-02-2004 - 12:12pm

Yes Kat, I think that the new year brings out a desire to organize in me, too.

Nancy

"Make Choices that bring you joy"  cl-Patty


 


Avatar for bootywhompus
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 01-02-2004 - 12:24pm
I don't know if this counts as a ritual or not, but it seems like every year we wind up at the Village Inn about 10am and watch the previous night's revelers slink in for breakfast. I remember well how that felt and it gives me a giggle to see them repeating the same thing over and over.

Yes, I do the purging thing every year too. This year it's the hall coat closet. There is stuff in there I forgot I had and it's got to go! So my living room is currently standing room only, something the dogs are giving me dirty looks about.

I also always change my wiper blades during the New Year's holiday. Weird, huh?

Lori

Lori

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-03-2001
Fri, 01-02-2004 - 12:31pm
Kat, the book you mentioned sounds so interesting.May have to check that one out.The new year usually finds me wanting to get organized.

Hope you and Danny have a wonderful 2004.

Miss P




 

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 01-02-2004 - 12:45pm
It is a good book, so far. The author promotes journaling, of course, and brought up a point I never thought of - having a personalized journal. Mine has been a little diary sized book (with a lock), which is kept in my lingerie drawer. I don't seem to write in it much - probably because it is not the size paper I'm used to writing in . . . duh! I need to go find a pretty journal (& with something on the cover that I relate to - like perhaps literary references or pretty flowers)that is 8 1/2" by 11 or so sized with a lock & key! Hopefully such journals exist. I never thought about this either - that journaling helps us to make our decisions in life because we write down our thoughts as well as what other's advice is on our decisions. How simple!
Katherine (Kat)
iVillage Member
Registered: 02-08-2001
Fri, 01-02-2004 - 2:59pm
Happy New Year Kat! Always so nice when you can pop in.

I don't know whether you would call it a New Year ritual-but I do like to clean up, throw out, shred etc. at the beginning of the New Year. I'm feeling it more this year than most since clutter seems to be overwhelming me. I've compiled a full list of things that MUST be done around here, things we'd like to do and a wish list if time and money allow. I just have to remember to be patient and remember that it's not going to happen overnight, not get discouraged or frustrated and just keeping pecking away at the list-of course it might be useful to throw out and seal up the trash bags when certain people aren't looking!

The best to you and Danny in 2004!

Susan

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 01-02-2004 - 3:10pm

I kind of do the purging and organizing all year long so I guess getting dates transferred to my new day planner and setting new goals for the year.


Good to see you Kat.

Live With Passion!


Phyllis

Live With Passion!

Phyllis

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 01-02-2004 - 7:26pm
You are always so organized and caught up.

Rhonda


Time invested in improving ourselves cuts down on time disapproving of others.

       ~~Rhonda~~


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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 01-02-2004 - 10:07pm
lol...you don't know me vewy well do you?

Live With Passion!


Phyllis

Live With Passion!

Phyllis

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