It’s a New Year so Now What?

Many people are already into week 2 of no Christmas decorations and have accomplished several new projects, but I am just chugging along intentionally, enjoying the process of taking down and packing away. But my mind is constantly thinking of how I plan to make 2025 a year of accomplishments.

My resolution theme seems to be the same year after year~staying healthy with an active lifestyle. I wrote a blog post in 2019 with 10 Tips to Stay Healthy this Winter and those principals do not change throughout the year.

No huge monumental goals like climbing Mt. Everest or deep sea diving in the Galapagos, only intentional living and getting the most out of every day. The focus this year is efficiently and effectively using time (which is ticking away too quickly) while getting our house in order too.

Healthy Lifestyle~Food

I have no tolerance or patience for getting sick. Fortunately, I come from strong Polish genes and am rather hearty (knock on wood). For me, I try very hard to keep my immune system and gut health strong by eating fresh fruits, vegetables and lean proteins. The food I love the most is grown in our garden or made from scratch.

It’s funny how I would never say no to a slice of homemade pie, but would not eat one that store-bought. Since I love to cook, take-out food is infrequent in our daily diets. Instead of saying no to something (like warm sourdough bread out of the oven), I manage my portions. At this age, I’m not into deprivation. However, I can tell when my body feels off and I take quick action to get back on track.

This may sound weird, but I actually love looking into other people’s shopping carts at the grocery store. You can tell a lot about a person based on what they are purchasing.

The additional 5 lbs. I gained over the holidays is being addressed by a month on the Fast Metabolism Diet. Actually, any time you are just paying attention to what you are preparing and eating is a good thing. What I love about this program is the science of it and the recipes are very flavorful too.

But what is most important is how food makes you feel. My body lets me know if something I eat doesn’t agree with me (achy joints, bloating, cramping) and I always note that for the future. Paying attention is key.

Healthy Lifestyle~Exercise

Physically, I have always been active. Unfortunately, I have had some significant injuries as a result (for example, blown out knee from skiing, neck problems from a car accident) that have required surgeries or constant attention. What I have discovered that when I stop exercising and moving, those injuries actually flare up. I was once told that the human body is the only machine that breaks down if you don’t use it.

It is never too late to start moving. Walk a little each day and build up your distance. One of my goals this year is to walk 69 miles before my 69th birthday, which is in April. The plan is to do it a mile or two at a time, for several days. Sounds like alot but when you break it down into smaller pieces it is achievable.

Currently, I take a Pilates class twice a week and do weight training 3 days a week. Adding a few miles of walking will actually be a good thing. Last year, I did three 5K races (walking not running) and I hope to upgrade to a 10K in August.

Trust me when I say this doesn’t mean I move like a 20 year old. Each workout provides its fair share of aches and pains, but I plow ahead because I can’t imagine how much worse I would feel not exercising. As we age, it’s so important to have good core strength and muscle resiliency to help prevent falls and prolonged recovery. We have to put in the work to stay out of our health care system.

What do you do to keep moving?

Efficiently and Effectively Using Time

Everyone has the same amount of time each day. However, some people fully utilize it efficiently and others don’t. I actually find this topic rather interesting and probably spend way too much time thinking about ways to be more effective.

For me, the biggest time suck is too much screen time on social media and television. When our children were little, the television was never on. Quite honestly, I would be happy if it was only on a few hours a week. However, when you live with others who like the television on it’s hard not to get drawn into it. With all the great shows available, the temptation is even greater. And if you eat in front of the television, well, that’s just a slippery slope.

The goal this year is less time on my phone and less hours in front of the big screen. Anyone with me?

House Organization Projects

What I love about scheduling an event at our home is that it motivates me to get projects done. We are planning an engagement party for our son and fiancée at the end of March. Typically it is around Easter that our yard looks its best, but after two scorching summers, many plants need some love and attention.

We are currently repainting exterior window frames on the house and outbuildings which makes a huge visual difference. It’s definitely time to spiff things up.

Inside, I hope to go through each and every room with a critical eye~getting rid of what we don’t need or use; cleaning out each and every closet; repainting and remodeling where needed. It’s a lofty goal but a necessary one. Plus I work better under pressure!

In addition I have multiple pieces of furniture I want to refinish~from my outdoor dining table on the back porch, to a prayer chair, antique writing desk and an armoire. Of course the rocking chair I started 2 summers ago still isn’t finished (due to difficulty stripping the finish).

Do you have any organizational projects on your 2025 calendar?

Life at Bella Terra Workshops

Last year we experimented with a few workshops here and they were very successful~from our full day Holiday Styling Workshop to shorter ones like All About Lemons and the Valentine Cookie Decorating classes.

I have been asked to conduct a Pie Making, Bread Making and an Entertaining Tips class. As you can imagine organizing and scheduling these classes and workshops require a bit of time and a lot of energy. If you have any thoughts or suggestions of whether these classes/workshops are of interest, please let me know.

Painting More

Lastly, I would love to get back to painting on a regular basis. I was taking an art class prior to the pandemic. Unfortunately my instructor did not return to teaching this class so it’s just a matter of me finding a resource. Being self-disciplined to paint at home doesn’t seem to work unless I mark it on the calendar as an important meeting.

My intention is to make it a priority because I really love painting. It shouldn’t be pushed to the bottom of my list, right?

Throughout the year I hope to update you on my progress on 2025 goals and aspirations! Let’s be healthy, happy, positive and engaged together this year.