Landing on Plan It Carey

 Oh my goodness...what a year, huh? Life has been a mixture of catching my breath and carving out space to process all that has come to the surface this year. It's been a lot. There have been some wonderful experiences and heartbreaking ones as well. 

One of the aspects that has helped me, on all levels, is journaling and documenting the days. I'm so glad I kept a journal this year. (I've always kept some sort of log, in some sort of book, but I haven't always been consistent. That's what I am working on.)

As we enter the final calendar month of the year, I'm pretty amazed that it's already December. Much has changed. My brain is working to comprehend and compartmentalize all that has come through. My focus this year is on being intentional and consistent. While I'm not 100%, I felt that one of the practices that could strengthen these habits was through blogging. I want to experiment with this and give myself a creative outlet. Rather than recap the highlights of where I've been and what's been going on in my world, I thought I would just jump in and share, similar to what I do when I switch journals. I've created this new blog to go along with my {planner} instagram account, Plan It Carey  (I don't know if I will keep Olive Noodles up and going? The name still brings a smile to my face!) 

I'm no longer on FB, that ship has sailed. I do not miss it either. The two year long experiment has proven that if I am supposed to get "news" it eventually does find me. Instagram is where I am posting currently. 

While I am always writing and creating, I don't often take the time to share it publicly. There are so many amazing creators and offerings out there that it really is overwhelming. My blog isn't a money maker, it is a creative outlet. I am not trying to make a career out of writing or the many inspirational ideas that cycle through my brain. I've have missed the opportunity to share my thoughts and allow them to float out into the world, like dandelion seeds.... landing on the eyes and ears of those who might glean something positive from the words that flow through me. I believe that we all have something to share and perhaps this is how I can contribute to others? 

I don't have the time or the energy to make a new, fancy blog or website. My days are full, sometimes to the point of bursting. It's where I am at currently. I accept it and I'm working on loving even the parts that are constricted and uncomfortable (usually that is when I am growing.) I know that my life won't always look the way it does right now and my schedule won't be this way forever. I am riding the waves and waving to my inner self with a reminder to enjoy what's here, as I know it will change. 

Something new that I am trying out is 30 Days of Lists I love the concept and since time is extremely crunched this month, I thought it would be fun to participate. Honestly, I have a tendency to fizzle out of challenges and such when things get really busy. However, this one is do-able because it's something quick and easy, I can simply list the prompts, which will be fun! 

It's taken me two years to get into the habit of a daily review. Yes, TWO YEARS! I've always kept a planner and journal (two separate entities). I've struggled to record a daily recap every day, consistently. Like a diet, if I skip, it's challenging to get back into the routine. I can certainly backlog and I have at times done that. I've found that if it takes a lot of time and feels daunting to "catch up" then I will not go back to it. It's better for me to journal "in the moment" or just before I go to bed--I make it a point to journal, even if it's only a few sentences. I have trained for this habit and made it part of my day, just like brushing my teeth.

This blog is a good example. I had a hard time figuring out where to start, how to connect previous blog posts with my current time line? It could have felt daunting and heavy if I thought about it too long. Instead I just focused on what would be fun and jumped on here. Life is about exploration and discovery, sort of like being an astronaut. If one doesn't blast off from her status quo every now and then, well, life can get pretty boring and routine. I confess I don't mind routine and predictability. I like knowing what's coming and I don't mind avoiding unknown asteroids landing right in front of me. I am a chronic over-thinker, recovering procrastinator and previous perfectionist. I usually don't know how long or even if one of my ideas will plant itself for an extended stay in the Universe. I felt guided to share again so I'll be posting my lists here and on Plan It Carey through the month of December. Please follow along if you'd like!