My Word of the Year & #FinishYear List

Source: piccsy.com via Lee Ann on Pinterest

I tried the UFO concept with Judy at Patchwork Times; but, I was an utter failure with that effort. I think it's because it focused only on the crafty/quilting part of my life. The Word of the Year, which replaces a list of resolutions, was a better effort for me. The word is often a concept that we desire to embrace, a quality we wish to embody, or something we wish to have more of in our lives.

My word of the year for 2011 was “do”. I accomplished more than I ever did before. There is always room for improvement though. I decided to make “finish” my word of the year for 2012 and extend the word “do”. They complement one another, don’t you think?

But, I still need something more than just a Word of the Year. I’m a list person. I need something to shoot for. Most of the time, making resolutions never worked for me and I think I know why. They tend to be too general and need to be a little more specific to work.

Jon Acuff turned on the light for me with his ”Finish Year” concept. He is doing a series of posts to help us set up our lists. I think this concept may just work because the focus is on efforts not results, which may be the biggest bane to my existence.

{Start from the last link I provided above and work your way through his newer posts to get the gist of what “Finish Year” is all about.}

So, I listed items in the car on the way up to the Dallas area to see family before the New Year. Dan wanted to know what I was doing; so, I explained the concept to him and how it is done. He kind of joined in with his own list.
Here is my original list:

1. finish the Layer Cake Quilt. In the process, learn to machine quilt.
2. read at least six books
3. hand quilt Dan’s quilt
4. clean / purge the office
5. clean / purge the Master Bedroom
6. make meal plans (every two weeks)
7. save up for “new” car
8. make flying geese blocks using charm squares and special ruler
9. take a stitch on Tuesdays
10. add money to house fund
11. walk a mile (two miles is ultimate goal)
12. either relearn to play piano or learn to play a mandolin
13. establish an etsy shop for crafts
14. write down thoughts frequently – once or twice a week
15. design a quilt
16. learn to swallow a pill
17. organize my fabrics onto “bolts” – 2 or 3 a day should get me there eventually
18. finish the cross-stitch project that is half done
19. take a picture once a week

Here is Dan’s list:

1. finish the mustang!
2. relearn/play the banjo.
3. finish the desk/nightstand
4. learn custom framing and matting.
5. finish professional photography – at least establish a SmugMug account and even get some business cards

We are supposed to wean the list to five. Dan is fine. However, I am not! Ha! So, on the way home from the Dallas area, I weaned down the list. Let me tell you, I had a difficult time weaning the list down. I noticed that there were several small items that could be done every day until the task is completed. So, I weaned my list down to five keeping the original list separate so that I can add to the new list whenever one is eliminated. I also created a separate list that could be worked on in a routine manner (aka Flylady).
Here is my five:

1. I am going to finish learning how to swallow a pill. I may not ever learn how; but, I am determined to try.
2. I am going to finish the Layer Cake Quilt. In the process, learn to machine quilt.
3. I am going to finish saving up for “new” car. We only need a couple more thousand.
4. I am going to finish walking a mile (two miles is the ultimate goal)
5. I am going to finish cleaning / purging the office. I can only do this if Dan helps the process as half the stuff in there is his. I hate to nag him; but, this is important to me.

Here is my secondary list (in no particular order):

• I am going to finish making meal plans (every two weeks).
  {I started and completed the first plan on 1/2/12.}
• I am going to finish writing down thoughts frequently – once or twice a week – journal style.
• I am going to finish organizing my fabrics onto “bolts” – 2 or 3 a day should get me there eventually.
  {I started this on 1/4/12.}
• I am going to finish taking a picture at least once a week
  (I started this on 1/2/12.)

I've placed my #FinishYear list inside my calendar organizer for safekeeping and easy reference. Here's to hoping for a more successful year!