How Have You Begun?

It is the beginning of another year. 2019 is two days old. How have you begun to make the world a better place?

We are starting the new year by putting things in order. The holidays left the house in a bit of disarray. So we are clearing some clutter, paying bills, sorting paperwork, making to-do lists. I always transfer birthday and anniversary dates from the old calendar to the new. And I begin a file of financial stuff in preparation for time to do our taxes.

It just feels good to have some order restored to my life. There is so much of life that we have no control over that having things at home organized helps relieve some anxiety. So this is a way to make my own world a little better place to be.

The process can be a bit overwhelming if I'm not careful. So I start an overall to-do list, putting everything down on the list that I need and want to do. For me, it  helps to have it contained on a list so I'm not concerned about forgetting something. I can just keep adding to the list as I mark things off. That gets my year started sanely for me.

Other people find that listing all that is overwhelming and they tell themselves they can never do it all. I give myself permission to take things of the list if I decide they are not important and I don't want to do them. And I also break down large tasks into little lists of steps to finish them. Making that little list is a step toward finishing the task. I often do things in "baby steps" so that I'm not overwhelmed.

I don't do New Year's Resolutions. I've learned that it is too difficult to know what I will or won't be able to do for a year. But if I focus on those baby steps I get much more accomplished. In fact, I do some things in "inchworm mode." That's because I'm physically unable to stand for very long. But it works if you have low stamina and need to rest frequently. Even an inchworm gets to where it wants to go.

This week I will wind up my project to collect donations for the American Indian elderly and then order the thermal underwear they said they need. Last week we finished wrapping the new warm winter hats we collected for the unsheltered homeless.

Since I'm no longer physically able to do volunteer work, I coordinate projects to raise money for causes. What would you like to do for others? Now is the time to consider it and to reach out to change the world for someone else.

Do me a favor. Please, tell me what you will do this month to make the world a better place for yourself or someone else. If you have been following my blog, let me know if and how my blog has affected you.

Thanks.