Tag Archives: New Year’s Eve

Hope for the New Year

27 Wednesday Dec 2017

Posted by in bipolar, caregivers, hope, mental illness, relationships, schizophrenia, Uncategorized

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My husband and I sit down every year before January, 1st and write down our resolutions for the following year.  On New Year’s Eve we look at the list, we wrote twelve months earlier. We are usually a little bummed out because there are only one or two things from our list that we managed to accomplish. The past two years, those accomplishments have been big things (like financial planning), but still, most of our list is left undone.

This year, we decided to do something a little differently and hopefully when we look at what we have written twelve months from now, we will be pleased instead of disappointed. This year, instead of a list we are going to write down our intentions, and choose a word for the year.

My word for the year is WORK, and my husband’s word for the year is INSPIRATION. What does work mean to me? I want to be stable enough and committed enough to commit wholeheartedly to writing. I have started a memoir with a writing mentor (she expects at least ten pages a week starting in the New Year). I would also like to keep up with this blog and sell a few essays every month. For me, that is a lot of writing and a lot of work, but I feel hopeful that I can achieve it. I am also working together with my husband on a project that is the basis for his word, and I can’t wait to share the details, but we need to have it partially completed before I do that. One hint, it also has to do with writing (so excited about this!)

Underneath our words, we wrote our intentions. We both included things like getting out more, socialize more, and watch less news. To my list, I added to be on social media less and to read more books and essays. Reading more is the only place I included details – I would like to read a chapter a day and an essay a day (excluding blogs – I will read as many of those as I have time for).

2017 was a tough year for so many reasons. One of which was that my husband and I had almost continuous health problems throughout the year, add that on top of schizophrenia and my husband’s chronic illness and we were feeling miserable, worried, and down most of the year. When you throw in the daily news of disasters, terrorism, healthcare, etc.  Oh, boy! It is surprising that we were able to manage a low-grade depression and not a full on can’t-get-out-of-bed depression. When people say, your health is the most valuable thing (including mental health) they aren’t kidding. If you don’t have your health, it is difficult to get anything else accomplished or to focus on other things.

So, with that in mind, the best I can wish for all of you in the New Year is a healthy mind and body. Here is to a symptom-free year from your head to your toes (a New Year miracle, I know, but let’s aim high!)  To 2018 and beyond!

5 Ways To Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions

06 Sunday Dec 2015

Posted by in hope, Uncategorized, writing

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My husband and I don’t go to Vegas, book tickets on a cruise, or head for the tropics to celebrate New Year’s. We don’t go to a fancy party, or drink champagne. I am usually in bed by nine and my husband gently wakes me up at midnight to give me a kiss and wish me a joyous, successful, healthy, and happy new year.

Although we don’t ring in the New Year with a fancy party, for several hours before midnight we bring out the list of the resolutions we made the past year, and create a new list for the year we are ringing in. Last night we got out the list for 2015 in preparation, and we were both surprised. This is the first time in seventeen years that we accomplished over half of the items on our list.

Here are the five things you can do to help keep your resolutions in 2016.

  1. List specific goals not resolutions. Instead of writing, “Go to the gym more.” Try writing things like, “I will take a walk three times a week.”
  1. List details about your goals or the steps necessary to make them happen. One of our goals was to publish a book of poetry that included all of the poets in a workshop I attended. We wrote down three steps to make that happen. The first one was to ask all the poets for three poems. The second was to format the book. The third was to find a publisher. I am happy to report that the book, Sunday’s at Liberty Station was published by my husband and me in 2015.
  1. Keep the list in plain sight. In previous years, we made the list and then put it in a pile of papers somewhere and forgot about it until New Year’s Eve. This year, we kept the list in plain sight. We frequently referred to it, checked it, and crossed off the goals we had accomplished. One of the things we completed in 2015, because we reminded ourselves by checking the list, was to consolidate our finances. Just like the poetry book, we had several steps to take to make that happen, and as we accomplished the steps, we checked them off.
  1. Make it an active part of your life. By keeping the list in plain sight and checking off the steps you have accomplished, your resolutions (goals) become more like your yearly to-do list and less like a vague list of wishes you hope somehow to accomplish.
  1. Make the list team work. If you have a partner, this step is easier, but if not ask a friend or a relative to go over your list with you. Let them know what you hope to accomplish. Make them a buddy in your resolutions (goals) and ask them to help hold you accountable.

As you accomplish all of your resolutions (goals) in 2016, don’t forget to celebrate. Those small celebrations throughout the year can make up for dozing off before midnight on New Year’s Eve.