New year....so many days.

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New Year's Eve & New Year's Day are my most favorite holidays of the year. As a kid raised in a home without traditional Christmas experiences, I grew to love the sparkle and shine of New Year's Eve. A night of countdown and snacks; stay in or go out. It's a holiday you can spend with friends and no one says boo. NYD was packed with naps and football. It was a time to reflect and reset for a fresh calender. Each year, I set specific "to do" goals and another set of "development goals"; ones that change and grow over the year as I learn more about myself. Over the next couple of weeks, I'm starting to flush out the direction I'm going and share that in my weekly post. 

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2020 theme: In this home. 

In August of 2018, my little family of four moved back into "The Thomas Cottage". This little 1920's restoration style home was mine pre-marriage. It's my happy place. And for the last 10 year was a rental until my husband sold our family home and we poured ourselves into 850 square feet. We took all my grandmother's goodies which furnished the house + all my collections + all his things + our two daughters toys and stuffed it into the wall of this place. Our intention was to crash here and buy a new place. 18 months later, we can't seem to find that forever home so we just started spreading out here...like lava all our stuff filled the cracks and crevices. We emptied out a 5+ year old storage unit and this forced a tipping point of unpacking. Like a tangled ball of yarn I've been gently teasing out the knots of our jam packed abode. And it hit me: 

I will spend 2020 in this home. 

I will check this house for what I need before I make a move. 

This goes for stuff but it also speaks to the social-emotional side of "things." What if I check in with my kids and husband before make a decision or scheduling an event or need help figuring out my need? This kind of thinking would be slightly radial for me because as a couple we pride ourselves on being very independent. We both spent a great deal of our teens, twenties/thirties taking care of ourselves. We are later in life married. Old mom/dad when compared to the community of West Michigan. I was 37; he was 44 when we welcomed our first child. While admirable and effective in many situations, this solo strategy doesn't always work when building a life. And it can create tension when building a home. And if we are to make room in the house, it might be helpful to look at source of tension that could benefit from relief thus creating a peaceful space for everyone. 

Needless to day, this epiphany has had me thinking: 

What if I stopped and looked inside my "home" before _________?

The first step was to start reading A Year without a Purchase by Scott Dannemiller which I finished with a solid 4 stars. Since NYD, I have been only buying consumable things which has felt ok. I have been walking a cow path since the start of year: get up, gym, work, home, sleep, repeat. This repetition is part of a bigger plan to create a 2020 routine that is consistent with what is important: body, career, family (order varies). I'll spend the first part of this year cementing the routine and will start to sprinkle in deviations as the year develops. 

Next up: Unread Bookshelf Project or as I would like to say: Stop buying freaking books and sit down and read.