12 for 12 ⇒
Happy new year! I am writing this email in my very untidy living room…eyeballing the Christmas tree that is absolutely coming down today so I can get back to normal after a wonderful holiday season. It's been lovely but I'm done. Done with eating too much junk, drinking wine too often, done with the gifts and crafts and general chaos. I do wish the kids weren't going back to school quite yet, however. The Dalzells have made a family resolution. We often talk about changing our habits so this year we are going to make 12 new habits. Some as a family and some individually. We are going to work on just one new habit each month so hopefully by the end of the year we will all be a bit better organized, productive, fit, healthy, fulfilled. I am feeling the itch for change and challenge. I'd like to write more. Our friends the Fox's do a great job with their blog which they use as a journal to remember the fleeting moments that are parenthood. I've been using Facebook statuses for that purposes which was dumb because of course now they're gone. I hope to write more and maybe the blog will be where I do that. I also hope to submit as a guest to Life as a Human which would be a publishing credit I can put on a resume. Then there's my latest novel which I got a jump start on in November but my efforts waned in favour of making Christmas stuff. Back to it! But first, I have to get better organized which is of course our January habit: to tidy up a little each day. I am recruiting a friend of mine to help me. She has "OCD" and her house is immaculate. Well, I know mine will never be immaculate but she is going to help me organize my house one room at a time. Each member of our family will be responsible for putting away 12 things each day (or perhaps we will work for 12 minutes if it's particularly messy). Whatever the case, 12 is the magic number in order to receive a token. If the person has done their task every single day for the month, they will earn $12, if not, each token is worth $.12. So, readers, today I wrote for 12 minutes (although writing is not my official January habit…I'm trying to do two habits this month - we'll see.) Amendment: I began writing this article this morning and I have finished it in the evening in my now tidy living room, sans Christmas tree, after we spent our first 12 for 12 day cleaning up together. Wish us luck!