The 2014 Overhaul

 

There's so much of my life that I want to overhaul for 2014. Not to say that I am not already blessed, but if we're being honest here...I'm not where I want to be nor am I who I want to be. I can speak for everyone in this household, we all feel the same way. Time for some changes. The saying is "New Year, New You", right? Time to take control.

My number one issue....technology. Yep, I will freely admit that I have been one of those who gets together with their friends so we could all pinterest and facebook on our phones the whole time. Since noticing this, at the beginning of 2013, I vowed to change it....and I have....just not completely. When your phone, tablet or computer get in the way of you actually living life in the real world, you have a problem. I will admit it, Ian and I argued about this not more than 2 weeks ago. I believe it was me saying, "You never put that damn thing (tablet) down!". It's true, of myself more than I'd like to admit too. We have greatly decreased our electronics usage and what do you know, we're...wait for it...happier and more connected! I challenge everyone to do the same. You honestly don't realize how much time you spend online or on apps until you put the electronics down. If you aren't attached to your phone already, good for you! I aspire to be like you in 2014. I am getting there, and it's marvelous :)

  I care too much what others think. I'm guilty of being a people pleaser. I would do anything for anyone...well almost anything, this people pleaser did have her limits. Towards the end of the year I was stretched so thin that I suffered, Ian suffered, the girls suffered, friendships suffered and the business suffered. Nothing went smoothly and I felt like my life was a wreck...not a happy place to be in. I had a fantastically craptastic attitude from about October 15th until this morning when I woke up with the will to change. I was miserable, critical, rude...not my normal bubbly and happy self. It's hard not to be cynical and mean when you feel like you're never doing enough. Let's face it, you can't please everyone. I used to be the type where I would post that we're not taking orders and taking a vacation (which we're on right now), but if someone messaged me I would appease them by doing their order right away. I have some none too thrilled with me people right now, but I refuse to work on our much due vacation time. It's "me time", darnit!

I'm a lot of things and not all of them are good in every situation or easy to take in all the time. I'm loud, obnoxious, nerdy, I speak way before I think, I act long before I use my brain, I'm passionate about everything I believe in, I think outside the box, I'm far from perfect and my all time favorite...I'm too much. All things I've been criticized for....all very true, especially the first four haha. I'm proudly obnoxious and nerdy, I'll admit that. I need to learn how to weed out the "friends" from the actual friends. I've never been good at this....ever. I was never gifted the fantastic ability of foresight, nor was it something I picked up along the way. Some things I need to scale back on so I can make quality friends: I trust others....recklessly. I give everyone the benefit of the doubt....always. I believe that there is good in everyone. I'm an open book so others can learn from my experiences and the crazy life I've lived (most have NO idea haha). The moral of the story in my long nonsensical paragraph: I have realized that I am who I am and that's not going to change. What is going to change, however, is the way that I decide who becomes an integral part of my life and who I allow to remain close to me. I am sure this sounds mean, but not all are worthy. I will also be a better friend to those who are worthy :)

 Lastly, I need to finish the stuff I start. Which goes hand in hand with me putting myself and my family before others. Let us view what happens when I put everyone else first:


 My lovely incomplete and very bare mantel.

That was SUPPOSED to be a wine bar, until Ian's Keurig placement somehow transformed it into an incomplete coffee bar. Notice the frame of nothing, the not painted buffet, the horribly staged coffee bar accessories, the plates that need to be hung up on that wall but I can't because, oh wait...

 ....I need to actually paint it first. Though this tape that has been up for a few days adds a bit of character. Another project awaiting completion.

Even better....how about my empty, lonely, frame. I at least painted it, burlap matted the frame and hung it...that counts for something, right?

   

Or here's a view of awesome. This is the start of my gallery wall. Don't you just love how it has highlighted our room...for the last 2 weeks...leaning up against the wall it should be hung on, incredibly incomplete. I need to paint that clock, finish my state cutouts, vinyl that window, paint that box and make it into a family quote sign, frame some pictures....the list is never-ending.

This is my year of doing (in all aspects of life) not just talking, since I have a knack for leaving things the way they are. Game on, 2014.