However you choose to see in the new year, whether alone, in a small group or as part of a large gathering I wish you all health, peace and happiness for the coming year, 2014. We are going to a party at our next door neighbours, Gill and Rory. The trifle is setting, and the champagne chilling.
During 2014 there will be changes in my life which I am looking forward to, but with some trepidation. There will be challenges to face and adjustments to make, but all of them positive. I’ll be able to spend more time in France and also more time travelling. I want to enjoy the company of my friends and get to know them better. Of course there will also be people and places I’ll miss being a part of, but life moves on.
As usual, there will be the usual resolutions…
- to eat less and exercise more.
- to make every day count for something.
- to not put off until tomorrow those things I really ought to do today.
- to enjoy the company of family and friends.
- to plan for tomorrow, but live for today.
- to find new ways to ‘make a difference’.
- to try out new recipes with a view to improving my baking skills. *Jean, you’d better get that club started!
Of course these resolutions aren’t all SMART (in target setting jargon) but SMART or not, they are mine! A SMART target would be to ‘try out one new baking recipe each week for the next year’, as it is SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ATTAINABLE, REALISTIC and TIMED.It would, however, probably negate the first resolution!
My track record at even remembering, let alone sticking to resolutions isn’t great. Wish me luck…
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
And all good things for 2014 to you :-) With luck we'll see a bit more of you!
ReplyDelete... and the same to you both. With luck you will! :o)
DeleteHappy New Year, Gaynor & Tim...
ReplyDeleteand may 2014 be kind to you both...
Pauline and T'otherTim.
You write:
"I’ll be able to spend more time in France and also more time travelling."
The two go together....
safe journeys!!
Our wish is the same for you and Pauline. Tim want to spend more time watching birds - the feathered ones, I presume!
DeleteGood luck, and a very Happy New Year to you.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tracey. happy new year to you and your family.
DeleteGoodness, I didn't realise our resolutions were supposed to be SMART as in SPECIFIC, MEASURABLE, ATTAINABLE, REALISTIC and TIMED! Good luck with all the changes and look forward to meeting you in response to the resolution to enjoy the company of family and (virtual-so-far) friends. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteIn proper PC jargon they really need to be SMARTA. All of the above as well as ANTI-DISCRIMINATORY!
DeleteYour goals are somewhat ambitious and waiting in the wings so to speak. As you say, they are not specifically SMART but those who thought up the acronym did not put LIFE, LIVING and AGEING into consideration...let's face it, most of what we do each day has nothing to do with REALITY even though it is real! Bonne Annee.....
ReplyDeleteTherefore I've discovered, one can have any number of goals, targets, objectives, aims but if there is a brick wall impeding progress,then not much can progress through it, until it is battered down! Hey ho!
So, take one step at a time and make a giant step for mankind..try to do a bit of this and a bit of that each day or a lot of this and none of that....and if you are lucky you might feel very positive with the outcome :) :) Anyway / So ( two words evidently much over-used to start sentences) it is good to be aspirational... may you be able to tick the boxes at the end of the year!
Thanks.
DeleteI'll try to tackle them rather in the manner that one must eat an elephant. One bite at a time!! ;o) Bonne Annee
Good luck with all your resolutions, not sure we have ever kept one yet :-) Hopefully this will be the year we will get to meet up once again. Have a good one and take care. Diane and Nigel
ReplyDeleteOn the basis that mine always start with "eat less and exercise more", neither have I!!
DeleteHere's wishing you a great new year, Gaynor. I'm not making any resolutions, but if I did, they'd look similar to yours! Certainly the first two...
ReplyDeleteI look forward to hearing how it's all goes. The main thing is to be SMART and enjoy each day in a positive way. Axxx
Thank you, Annie.
ReplyDeleteWe'll compare successes at the end of the year... ;o) x
As my daughter starts her teaching career, and talks of SMART targets for everything, I am pleased to have left it all behind ! Good luck with keeping to some of yours.....and I hope you have a wonderful 2014, with all the changes that you are planning on.
ReplyDeleteMaybe one of the travel bits...and getting to know friends better, might be coming to a bloggers' meeting......Annie and I talked about organising something, maybe in Barcelona.....we'll have to see what we can manage !
Happy new Year Gaynor. Jx
That sounds like a great idea. I'm a bit tied up until August, though...
DeleteGood luck! At least you set some goals! Lorne and I are waiting for the go-ahead to make a date to get married - finally! As soon as his doctor says he's finished chemo, we will set the date and make the arrangements. We will probably be married this spring - God willing. That's about all I can manage to set as a goal for now! Stay tuned....
ReplyDeleteWe hear that congratulations are in order for a major life change! Here's to July. Then you'll just have to work on Tim doing the same thing. P.
ReplyDeleteYou have very good resolutions for 2014 – how did the first 14 days of January go so far? I hope well as will the rest of the year. Happy New Year (in France we can send New Year cards until the end of January.)
ReplyDelete