NST: January 2021 – the Turtles do the Jitterbug

ditty1234

Questions to Reflect on the Year
Well just a lot more hometime than I ever anticipated, some boredom and a sense of not contributing to solving the crisis, except for doing my job and staying home.
What went well this year?
I got my citizenship and I am committing 5-10 hours a week to my creative strand. When will it become more extrovert (again) - might it generate some income. My rule for last year was to only use whats in the house, I will now start to feed it £20-50 a month, and see what happens.
What did not go well?
I still want to do a career shift - out of classroom, but I can't seem to find a secure and decently paid alternative.
What do I want to do the same next year?
I want to keep running and doing exercise and loose weight, have lost a stone painfully slowly and have about one more to go. I have been running and outdoor/swimming all year last year and I love it. 2 years ago I thought 5 k was a long run, on Wednesday I did 12k! O feel fitter and more ready than ever - so really want to get out of the house more.
I still keep a spending diary and will keep doing that, this month I have spent the most money for a long time, but between some home comports a bit of clothes and gifts - the ££££ went quickly. In general though I am on budget, am paying towards debt and am saving up. 
What do I want to do differently?
I honestly don't know what I will do differently - that is my big dilemma, as above I want to devote more time to my creative side, I might be working on a book, as I like writing, but have no idea about what? So I will try to experiment more and share more, get a bit more extrovert, be more brave, and be more kind.
When did I feel most alive?
I want to go to more live concerts and make more images and writing, I feel alive when I create and when I hear live music. 
When did I feel most exhausted and drained?
Work really grinds at me, I find it extremely hard to have an opinion of student art work! Harsh to say as it's my profession, but that is literally my struggle, along with planning and motivation in general. 
What did I say 'yes' to that I wish I'd said 'no' to?
What did I say 'no' to that I wished I'd said 'yes' to?
These two are hard for me to identify, as I am pretty good at doing what I want to do! 

Year end Review
One word to describe the year
Still
Best thing you did for someone else this year
I think I should do more for others! I feel I'm a bit selfish!
Most embarrassing moment of the year
My son caught me fibbing about some ridiculous detail!
The time you laughed the hardest this year
I don't think I have laughed enough this year.
Something you learned to do/ had never done before
Open water swimming in a lake - with seaweed!
Most newsworthy event (?!!?**)
GO HOME!
Biggest lesson learned
Keep moving, exercise, mentally, people wise, stay open, be present
Favourite place you visited (this may be a generic list)
My mom's new flat, and she loves it, she moved right before she turned 80! For once (???) or finally she is a great rolemodel.
Most memorable moment / day
My Mom's B'day with all family there - great day (abroad).
Best advice you received this year
Do I ever listen! But probably from MSE forums!
An achievement you are most proud of
Completed a 12 week reenergising of creative energy process through journaling. Am still doing the journaling, but haven't had a great creative breakthrough moment yet, but am plucking away at it. 
Reminisce on one great compliment you received
I have a friend who puts up with walking with me almost every week - I think that is a compliment!
What or whom are you most thankful for this year
My two lovely son's who have been amazing - and mostly in good spirits, and my sister and a friend who always keeps me going - mostly on video calls. 
Not much of a review - but I am still here, still working, have a home a job and a car, my kids are decent humans, but that said I feel very stunned and stalled after a year of so much time at home, and so little time spent in the company of friends that it makes me really sad to think about. 

ditty1234

And the dancing - I have a lot of random goals for 2021 but one is saving up £2-4000 and an other one is to just be a better person and to be more present with people.  ANd to do more dancing, quicker and for longer!

And I will not be waiting for the new normal, I will be making it up as I go along, that is when we are let back out even a little. But this week I saw a live theatre show screened - I want to do more of that, if I can't get the real thing. 

What makes me feel jittery and nervous? Connecting up with my creative self, I know if sounds silly, but I feel I have failed so many times, but then not failing is worse, because it is not trying. So Now I'm back at the drawing table looking for a new format or a new 'hook' to put my hat on, or maybe two.

Ideas. I will make and bake and I will continue to give my whole life a work over, so far I have painted all walls white and taken down lots of pictures - now it is time to start putting things back up - new things and inspiring things. 

Thriftiness I will revamp, sell or refer ... I don't want to keep having 'bags of death' in the corner. Things on their way to the charity shop for a year or more!

Time with those you love - yep kind of have enough of this at the moment. Make it better, am thinking board games!

Extras. AM doing this, will hope to run 60 miles in January, starting tomorrow!

Will go for 15 NSD this month, after an all time low in Dec. 

And work hard to be myself. Bought a pair of trousers that fit, that felt good.

I try to use my journal for working out what I want and don't want i my life - but I very quickly go on autopilot in a busy week, or when there is lots of people around.

I am grateful for this thread and for spending a bit of time everyday being thankful and recording where I'm at and what state I'm in. It is definitely a levelling factor. 

Calling14

Happy 2021 turtles.
Please add me apple to the dance sheet.  Probably first year I haven't started in debt, thanks to this amazing thread. Staying here to keep myself in check. Will make my plans/budgets Monday back in work then and access to computer. Bit difficult on my phone. Checked all my bank accounts this morning looking good. Need to continue with saving hard just in case work stops.  NSD1 in the bag and 10k walk done, before I slumped on couch with netflix. 

DawnW

Happy New Year everyone
Not making too many plans due to the uncertainty about what the year might bring, covid wise and elsewhere, but a few thoughts:
Janus Looking both back and forwards - hmm, will have to think on this!

Ideas Looking forward to planning the garden for the coming year. Also got an idea involving the old cookery books that I sort of collect. Not the printed kind, but the tatty ones with hand written recipes and others cut out of old magazines. You may have one yourself - I do!  But the ones I am thinking about are from people who are no longer with us. I inherited one from a great aunt, and have bought a couple more at boot fairs and junk shops for pennies, I couldn't bear to leave them there - who could bear to throw away their mother's or granny's personal recipe book   I intend to try out some of the old recipes, from the post war period to the 1960s, and maybe share the results. Some sound a bit odd, but worth a try I think! They certainly look economical. And aside from, or perhaps despite that, I need to lose some weight!

Thriftiness I am completely turned off the idea of buying anything in the sales - I don't need anything, and from a quick look online, it all looks like stuff nobody wanted to buy the first time round.

Time The worst thing to me about the lockdowns / tiers etc is lack of time spent with my family. My grand children are growing and I am not seeing them   Sorry, online is not the same. Really looking forward to being able to visit them again, and have them visit me. It certainly won't be this month, or next, but I hope it happens this year

Extras. I am the first to admit that I am not an exercise fan. I do walk though, and will continue with that. And I do stretches for my dodgy hip when necessary. I will have to try and do the cleaning more vigorously! And not sit around so much.

Re-visit Budgets are set. I log all spends, on everything, have done for years. I am trying a budget book this year instead of the usual spreadsheet, which seems to gain errors as the year goes on. I hope to spend less on grocery, cleaning and clothes categories this year than last. I have a lot in, so can shop from home apart from fresh stuff for the first two, and I have plenty of clothes for the time being.

Be yourself. What makes me happiest are my family and my garden.

Unburden I need to think about this. I am pretty good at not acccumulating clutter, but do tend to dwell on past negative situations and feel guilty that I didn't act differently, which is a complete waste of time and energy.

Gratitude. Grateful for having a warm house, food to ear and everything I need.  Generosity. I will continue to donate to favourite charities, including the food bank, and a local hospice that does so much for people when they need it most.

[Deleted User]

Hi @ditty1234,  have you ever tried The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron. It's got lots of exercises to bring out our inner creative and work through obstacles.  I too feel alive when being creative but then things get in the way and I just stop. Your posts have inspired me to have a look at The Artist's Way again and nurture and explore my creativity this year. Thank you. 

Toni'sfriend

Well I've had NSD No 1. Not surprising - nothing's opened.

Failed with the alcohol but the bottle of fizz was opened and I couldn't have it go to waste. But tomorrow definitely.

Contacted friends. A few seem to be struggling a lot more than we are for one reason or another so I must resolve to keep in contact and help where I can. First thing we are going to do do when it is permissible is book into a hotel and visit an elderly relative (by marriage) who has no family of his own.

Himself is snoozing on the sofa (again) but the sausage and mash is in the oven. Tomorrow I really have to reorganise the kitchen and sort out all the cupboards, fridge and freezers. We have far too much food. Another goal for this year. Stop overbuying. A well stocked cupboard is one thing but this is getting beyond the ridiculous.

On the plus side. We watched the New Year's Day concert from Vienna. Totally uplifting music and what a marvellous speech from Ricardo Muti. Ambition no 1 when this is over I will return to this beautiful city.

Health and happiness to you all.

f0xh0les

Well spotted Toni'sfriend, it is indeed NSD1 for me too. It had not registered.

I have achieved slightly more than nothing, but not by much, a lazy pj day, the necessities got done, but nothing else.  Spot of cleaning, spot of cooking, topped a packet of 'boring biscuits' in chocolate and suddenly the kids love them.

Arranged to take smallest 2 out tomorrow morning  -  tubs of 79p g/f d/f ice cream in 'the long legged wading bird shop',  6 different varieties - is the main lure I used to get them to agree, then I dropped the 'we will walk down to the shop instead of driving'  bombshell, which got raised eyebrows, but by then the trap was set.  So that will cover exercise as it is at least a 2 mile round trip. I also know I have a couple of £coins in my coat pocket that was taken out for 'treats'  before they broke up from school,  but  was not spent, so no money will be leaving my bank account, just using up what I had budgeted for last month.

Got confirmation of smallest starting back to school on 5th, biggest two on 11th, and #4 on the 18th (at the earliest) and Feb half term starts on 12th,  so #4 might only have 20 days at school.  

I will drive myself mad trying to second guess what is going to happen, so I am trying to just ride the wave as best I can, with daily exercise, kids helping with food prep,  de-Xmas-ifying the house, but I am leaving the fairy lights up cos I like them.

So I know the school run resumes on Tuesday morning, I just have to keep reminding myself one is missing after lunch so I don't forget to pick him up.   Honestly I am terrified I am going to forget him.

greent

Day 1 of 2021 - and 1st NSD racked up This evening's food has been individual meals to use up random things from fridge/ freezer/ cupboards and make sure nothing is wasted.  1st exercise session done on the rowing machine

Thankful for a long lie in for all of us this morning, for a warm and dry house, for no need to go anywhere today, for it only being Friday and the weekend is still to come

lcc86

NSD number one today. Washed the car first thing, bloody freezing and set off my back pain... maybe I should just bite the bullet in future and pay someone. I feel like I shouldn't pay someone to do something I can do myself but not if it's causing me pain!

Met a friend for a socially distanced walk. It was really nice and peaceful and it snowed! That REALLY set my back off and just focused just determination to sort out treatment. 

WelshKitty85

Unfortunately not a NSD today. We ran out of baby wipes so took the opportunity to do a small top up shop. £15 spent and shouldn't need another shop until late next week. We've made a start on decluttering, beginning with the Christmas decorations. The old, broken ones have been binned, and the rest packed away for next year. I even found some cardboard to wrap the lights around so they won't need untangling next time. The lounge has been blitzed and is looking very clean and tidy. I haven't done a proper exercise session today but I made multiple trips up and down stairs to transport the decorations and tree into the loft. The loft needs a good declutter and tidy up, but that's a job for another day. I've succeeded in upping my water and fruit intake - well chocolate coated strawberries are better than cake, right?