Five Before 2025

Five things I did well this year:

Maintained friendships

Fed people

Kept the van reasonably clean

Kept Christmas simple

Got good deals

Five things I struggled with:

Following through with our budget and meal plans

Regulating my emotions and my mood

Spending time with my kids

Phone addiction

Taking care of my body

Five things I learned (or relearned):

If my advice is not specifically requested, I probably don’t need to give it. People just need to be listened to and validated. 

Past trauma should not be an excuse for poor behavior. Healing is a choice worth making. 

There are two sides to every story, and when you allow space for the other person’s version, you will often discover you were wrong about a lot of things.

Horseshoes are far better than circles. 

I need to tell people what I’m feeling and experiencing and not just assume they know (okay, mostly Scotty).

Five changes I experienced:

Started working

Got an 18-year old

Drastically decreased how much I read (about 30 books this year vs over 100 in 2024) 

Started using a CPAP

Tried 2 ADHD medications but decided not to continue either one

Five things I spent too much money on:

Food 

Food

Food

Food

Food

Five skills I used:

Making pumpkin rolls

Being employable

Budgeting

Mass food prep

Thrift shopping

Five places I spent a lot of time:

Work

Kitchen

Bed

My in-laws’ house

Van

Five things I’d like to achieve in 2025:

Consume less (in both “eating” and “buying”)

Disconnect more (from my phone and other distractions)

Invite more 

Be truer to my passions, my gifts & talents, and my beliefs

Do more one on one activities with my kids

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Peace out, 2024. It’s been a real treat.