I always love the One Little Word Challenge, so I was happy to see that we are doing this again for the January Challenge YOUrself Scrapbook Challenge!
2020 was the first time I did this and I spent the whole year working on my word, which was Journey because I had just retired. I did the whole process along with Ali Edwards and I found it transformative!
This year, I’m choosing the word Challenge!
I’m challenging myself to do more challenges and more challenging things that are outside my comfort zone. I did several things that challenged me this year, and I am so happy I did. I have new friendships as a result, along with new traditions and some new habits!! It’s all good!
I want to challenge myself to blog more, to do more YouTube videos, be more active with my social media pages, do more card and scrapbook challenges, do more blog and YouTube hops, and maybe create a scrapbook challenge site myself!
I also have some personal challenges…a few days ago for example, I started a 28 Day physical challenge. I walk every day, and I do weights 3 times a week. I recently added a rowing machine on the days I don’t do weights and I make a minimal effort to get some stretching in. However, I’m stepping all that up. I have a new bike arriving in a couple of days to replace the one that has been pretty rickety since Hurricane Ian flooded our shed. I used to ride it every day, and I will start doing that again. I’m trying to stay limber and active as I get older. I want to be one of those older very active senior citizens I see around my neighborhood. Life is an adventure, and I want to keep that adventure going as long as I can!
I also have some social challenges for myself. I used to volunteer more, and I need to get doing more of that again this year. I’m also challenging myself to reconnect with some friends that I haven’t seen in a while. I think connections and socializing have become more important as I get older and I need to be better about that this year.
Of course, I also plan to read more books, maybe even some self-help ones! I love to read, but mostly I like to read stories. I don’t usually pick up worthwhile books that might actually allow me to improve myself. I’ve read enough textbooks for a lifetime…but alas, I will read some worthwhile books this year. I actually have a worthwhile books book club that I am doing with my sister this year. Stepping out of my comfort zone is my mantra this year.
I do also plan to crochet more! I am thinking of starting a crochet channel just for fun. I realize that there are a lot of people like me out there. We spend a lot of time alone and it’s nice to turn on a YouTube video and crochet along with someone else even if we can’t chat with them. Just listening to someone else jabber on is good company when you just want to sit and crochet.
I’ve just seen too many people I know who have retired and now they just sit in a chair all day and watch TV. They seem to get older and more fragile by the weeks as they go by. People start out with good intentions and throw themselves into cleaning and organizing their houses, then they focus on the one or two hobbies they have while they travel a bit. That all seems to stop at some point. Do they get bored? Do they not have enough savings to continue the hobbies and travel? Do they just not have someone to do things with? I don’t know.
I do know that being active and involved takes EFFORT. You can’t expect other people to be your source of happiness as you get older. It’s not their responsibility to make someone else happy. Your job is to make you happy! That’s what I’m doing with this word this year!
I’m going to keep making me happy! Of course, I will try to do it on my fixed income budget!
What is your One Little Word this year?? What are your plans for working with that word??
We would love to have you join us for the challenge. The challenge lasts the entire month of January!!
MY LAYOUT:
By the way… I used the new Hobby Haven Specialty Designer Series Paper from Stampin’ Up! to create my layout today!
I added some coordinating card stocks from my old Close to My Heart stash that included Harbour and Glacier. I also added some Crumb Cake and White from my Stampin’ Up! stash.
The alpha stickers are old ones from Pink Fresh that matched perfectly!!
The ephemera die cuts actually come with the Hobby Haven DSP! It’s so perfect! There are book pages, crafty tools pages, and self-care pages in this DSP set! It’s really lovely!
Additionally, I used some of the new In Color enamel dots and a couple of sentiment stickers from my stash.
This was a fun layout to make!!
You can find all the supplies in my Stampin’ Up! store at ShopWithKim.net!
Thanks for stopping by!!
