Seems like every year I look back and think – what a great year – I am so blessed!
And I also wonder how I could have packed so much into one year – I still work full time for HP as a product manager and run our little business with the best partners ever – my two daughters …. and look for as many opportunities as possible to make memories. I celebrated a couple big milestones this year … turned 60 and celebrated being married to my best friend for 40 years. I got to visit some amazing places – Spain, Italy, British Columbia, India and Germany as well as Glacier National Park, Crater Lake, Olympic National Park, Yosemite National Park and Hilton Head, Charleston and Savannah. We opened our home to our fourth foreign exchange student – Unax Unzueta – I think they help me stay young – you might consider it sometime – it’s very rewarding. My favorite ‘adventure’ had to be tandem paragliding from Squaw Peak above Provo Utah with my daughter Kayla. We were lucky enough to ‘ride the thermals’ up, up and up until we were above Mount Timpanogos at 11,752 ft.
So .. how did I fit it all in? First … you need a plan … and then you need to be really flexible because things rarely work according to plan. I start with my long term goals – I have eight categories – pick categories that are relevant to you
Then I put together my yearly plan – I follow the advice of Steven Covey –
Plan your Priorities …then Prioritize your Plan.
It is like the story of the rocks and the sand – when you try to fit them in a bucket – you better start with the big things first – i.e. the rocks – and then fill in the spaces with the sand – the little things that eat up so much of your time. I try to put in all the ‘fun’ stuff first because if I don’t I find I get too caught up with all the ‘little things’. The big things for me this year include trying to make it to the top of Mount Kilamanjaro – it is 19,341 tall and our bi-annual family reunion of the Johnson Pups – we will be heading back to Rocky Mountain National Park where my father started the reunions 30 years ago.
I have heard that if you publish and tell someone about your plans there is a higher likelihood that you will achieve your goals – so here it is.
I also try to pick a ‘theme’ for the year – I print it out so it is a constant reminder to me.
This year’s it a Tibetan Proverb – The secret to living well and longer is … Eat Half, Walk Double, Laugh Trip and Love without Measure. The picture I chose to go with it is of the World’s oldest Western Red Cedar tree – and it’s pretty much right in my backyard – This massive and amazing tree is located on US Highway 1010 near Kalaloch, Washington. You just need to watch for the sign that says ‘big cedar tree’ between Ruby Beach and Beach 4. It is 178 feet tall and has a diameter of 19.4 feet.
Looking for a quick and easy project?
I am helping Kira create new bedding for the girls room and the nursery – She wanted warm and fuzzy blankets for everyone – she picked the Cloud Spa Cuddle from Shannon Fabrics as the primary fabric (2 yards each) in Aruba, Lilac, Snow and Blush and then used Luxe Cuddle Angora as the coordinating fabrics for the borders – I think I may need to make one for myself as well.
You’ll find the directions for making one of your very own in Kira’s last blog post.
Wishing you a very enjoyable new year!
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