Sincere and heartfelt wishes for a happy New Year to you and yours. May the year ahead be somewhat kinder to us than the one behind.
I'm not fool enough to believe that the arbitrary flip of a calendar page has much cosmic significance. But I find myself wanting to believe that the fact that 2016 is now over will somehow also bring an end to the very negative circumstances that befell us during the year.
I'm not much of a one for making New Year's resolutions, but I do like to do a little reflection, introspection and goal setting as each new year gets underway. It's as good a time as any.
When our sons were still living at home, lunch time on New Year's Day included a time slot for each person to share their goals for the year ahead - both for themselves and for the family. The idea was that in sharing them with each other, we were making ourselves accountable to each other as we worked towards those goals.
For the first time this year, it was just the two of us. Mr Namasi is totally focused on finding a job and selling the house - he isn't thinking beyond that at this point. And I'm fine with that. After all, whenever either or both of those things happen, that will be just as appropriate a time for goal setting.
So what about me, then? What about your friendly Upsycho? I have set myself a few goals, and I'd like to share them with you. That way, I'm accountable to you.
Sharing the Link Love
Learning New Things
Sharing the Knowledge
That's pretty much it. These aren't really SMART goals...yet. This is the broad framework within which I will look to operate this year, and which will inform such SMART goals as I do set as the year unfolds. I'm leaving room for JIT and LEAN and all those things. Aren't you proud of me?
After all, who knows what a day (or a year) may bring forth? If Mr Namasi lands a job in some far flung place, a complete rethink will be necessary.
I'm not fool enough to believe that the arbitrary flip of a calendar page has much cosmic significance. But I find myself wanting to believe that the fact that 2016 is now over will somehow also bring an end to the very negative circumstances that befell us during the year.
I'm not much of a one for making New Year's resolutions, but I do like to do a little reflection, introspection and goal setting as each new year gets underway. It's as good a time as any.
When our sons were still living at home, lunch time on New Year's Day included a time slot for each person to share their goals for the year ahead - both for themselves and for the family. The idea was that in sharing them with each other, we were making ourselves accountable to each other as we worked towards those goals.
For the first time this year, it was just the two of us. Mr Namasi is totally focused on finding a job and selling the house - he isn't thinking beyond that at this point. And I'm fine with that. After all, whenever either or both of those things happen, that will be just as appropriate a time for goal setting.
So what about me, then? What about your friendly Upsycho? I have set myself a few goals, and I'd like to share them with you. That way, I'm accountable to you.
Sharing the Link Love
I have decided that I will promote the work of fellow makers, crafters and artisans this year. I'm aiming for one a day. I'll do that in my most used online spaces: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter. At the end of each week, I'll write a summary post here. I have already started this practice, so my first summary post should appear at the end of this week."Do not feed the trolls"
I have a tendency to feel things very strongly and to take personally things not directed towards me. After all, everything's personal if you're a person. Even as a child, I had an overdeveloped sense of injustice, and would loudly and persistently champion the cause of someone who had been wronged, sometimes even to the point that the wronged party would beg me to shut up and let it go.
I haven't outgrown that, and I have found that some of the ugliness that has arisen out of political situations of late has ground me down to breaking point. I need to step away.
I won't be turning a blind eye to injustice any time soon - I'm not sure I could live with myself if I became inured to the conditions under which some people are forced to live and raise their families - but I must try to avoid engaging in debate with people whose minds I will never change and to whom my own views are as abhorrent as theirs are to me.
I gently suggested this approach to a Twitter follower who attracts trolls in vast numbers. I need to think about whether there is mileage even in that - if people want to feed the trolls and tilt at windmills, I guess that's their right, too.
Learning New Things
I need to improve the accuracy of my woodwork. Practice (and YouTube tutorials) makes perfect.
I also want to learn new skills. I haven't identified those yet, but I don't feel under pressure to have all the answers at this point. As the year unfolds, I will try to live by Bigweld's mantra:
I'll come back to this point.
Sharing the Knowledge
A very dear friend of mine recently retired from the police, having served her 30 years in exemplary fashion. She prefers to refer to herself as rewired, rather than retired, and is setting up a business in which I will have a part to play.
My crafting skills will come in very handy, and I look forward to passing them on:
These endeavours will steer me towards the sorts of skills I need to learn under the banner of Learning New Things
- To my friend, who is keen to learn
- To paying customers, with the funds going towards this charity (another brainchild of the same friend)
- To the clients of the charity, with a view to helping them produce items they can sell
That's pretty much it. These aren't really SMART goals...yet. This is the broad framework within which I will look to operate this year, and which will inform such SMART goals as I do set as the year unfolds. I'm leaving room for JIT and LEAN and all those things. Aren't you proud of me?
After all, who knows what a day (or a year) may bring forth? If Mr Namasi lands a job in some far flung place, a complete rethink will be necessary.
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