New Thoughts for the New Year

Happy NEW YEAR friends!! I always feel like there is so much excitement that comes with a new year. Anticipation for what the new year holds, and the possibilities of a fresh start. I have spent the last week purging and cleaning. Going through areas in our house that have collected piles over the past year, who am I kidding the past few years. Some areas get re-visited more than others, and some areas stay neglected for a little while. I feel like I’ve been pretty productive though, going through clothes I haven’t worn in the past year. Did you know I got rid of about 20 belts?! I mean who really wears that many? I weeded it down to the 3 I wear the most, and the rest went in the bag to donate. It feels so good! I also got rid of about a dozen pairs of shoes. I can actually see the floor in my closet! Seriously, I forgot what it looked like. It feels so good to clean things out. I organized my spice cabinets for the first time since we moved in – YIKES!

And finally tackled some piles that hadn’t been touched in far too long. I’m not willing to give up my magazines yet! I know Pinterest is great for storing all those amazing ideas and projects I want to tackle, but I still love curling up in my favorite spot with a new magazine! Seriously it’s almost as good as dessert, and that ranks pretty high on my scale if you know me well. The downside to still getting magazines, is they accumulate as the months go on. I go through my magazines every couple years, and this past week I had the motivation to get rid of things. This was about half my stash, I still have a few more spots I need to clear out, but it was almost just as therapeutic to throw them away as it is to look through them for the first time, strange I know. If you caught my post last week, than you already know what my absolutely favorite thing is to get to start off the new year. In case you missed it you can catch up HERE, but as I reflect on the past year, I always like to look ahead and dream about the potential this new year holds. One of my top goals, and helpfully this doesn’t sound too cliche’-ish, for the new year is to get back on track with my wellness. I think that’s everybody’s goal in the new year, “I’m going to loose 20 pounds by…” and then you see a piece of cake that is all to decadent to pass up, and well the rest is history. Well the past few years life has gotten pretty busy, which has left me little time to take care of myself, which has made these extra pounds feel more like a welcomed guest instead of an intruder around my waistline. That has got to change :p I love making goals in the new year, but also allow myself some grace. I used to beat myself up pretty bad if I didn’t “do everything”, “finish everything”, and “be apart of everything”. I’ve realized that it’s ok if I don’t, and life still goes on, and I’m much happier in the long run for not running myself so short. It also allows me to focus on the areas in my life where I’m needed the most, and can be the most effective. And nothing feels better than that. So I’ve learned to say “No” more and not feel bad or guilty for doing so. Have you set some goals for the new year? Perhaps you hit the cleaning streak I did this past week, or maybe you need some motivation? One of my favorite things to do in the new year, once the Christmas decor is all put away, is start with a clean slate in our living spaces. You can catch my post HERE, on “How to Simplify your House”, and what my process looks like.

Maybe you want to give a room a fresh coat of paint? Nothing beats the impact of painting a room a new color, and the instant gratification you get, never mind the space feeling fresh and new. I have a great post on “My White Paint Fail” you can read HERE, for a laugh or just a little motivation to start, or “How to Pick White Paint” HERE. You can see how I refreshed our Living room last January HERE, and I can’t wait for our space to feel like this again soon!

I’d love to know what some of your goals for 2017 are?! Leave me a comment below, and tell me what your hoping the new year brings 🙂

Stay in touch!

Instagram / Pinterest / Facebook

Have a design question? Visit Doucette Design Co. for all your design needs!