Hi gang! So yep, today is my birthday! I usually refrain from too much personal musing here on the blog, as it is really a place to talk about books. But I am feeling kind of introspective today, and thought I’d share some birthday thoughts with you.

So first off, you should know I am a person who loves my birthday. I love to celebrate, I want lots of attention, and I expect my family to provide lots of adoration (and they are very good about giving it). I am never the person who says, oh don’t make a fuss, or don’t get me a gift. I want all the fuss and all the presents! (Does this surprise any of you, really?) So this is a weird year for me because for the first time in a while I am kind of freaked out by my birthday. It is a big year for me. And the thing is, I don’t feel old. And I don’t think I act particularly mature (anyone who has spent any time with me a conference can attest to that). But somehow the number is bugging me this year. Like suddenly instead of counting up years, I am counting down. And not that we are ever guaranteed anything beyond today, but it still suddenly seems like a big deal.

Now I will be the first to tell you, I am a lucky girl. I have a wonderful husband and two fabulous kids. We have a great extended family who lives nearby and we get to see a lot. I have an amazing group of friends who are like family to us. And an incredibly awesome online community. We have a good life and I am a very happy person. But thinking about my birthday this year (and with my maudlin introspection), I decided it was a good time for some resolutions and goals for things I want to change or accomplish. Because no time like the present, right?

  1. Be more schedule-oriented during the day – One of the things I love about working from home is that I don’t have to work on a rigid schedule. And I only work part time, which means I have a lot of free time during the day to run errands, help the kids out with homework, etc. But I am realizing that I end up wasting a lot of time every day doing nothing (hello social media!). I don’t want to set an hourly schedule for myself, but I do think I need to do a better job blocking my day out so that I have work time, family time, blog time, exercise time, and am not losing hours where I can’t figure out what I even did.
  2. Eating better – Sigh. I have let this one go lately. That is what happens when you have a daughter who likes to bake. I am great about exercising, but need to be better about food.
  3. Get more involved in volunteer work – I am not quite sure what I am aiming for her, but I feel like I want to find some more causes to donate my time. Like I said, I am lucky enough to have a fairly flexible schedule, and I would like to make time for more volunteering. I think it would be good to channel some of my energy into causes that I support and give time where I can.

Ok, those are my big three. I am sure there are lots more self-improvement items I can do, but I am going to start there.

What about you guys? Does anyone else have thoughts on ways they can focus their energy this new year, or goals they want to achieve? I’d love to hear them!

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

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