What I Will do This Year

I celebrated my 36^th birthday on Saturday. It was lovely. My daughter Hannah painted my portrait. My son Jacob took every chance he could to gleefully say, “Happy birthday, Mama!” I met my new niece, Madeleine. It was a good day.

I think of my birthday as my own personal new year. It’s when my calendar changes from 35 to 36. Last year I marked the occasion by setting some personal intentions. I threw some stuff out to the universe and myself, in an effort to send a message about what I wanted to see in the year ahead. I said that I would write a book proposal, grow watermelons, decide what to do with my wedding dress, stay in a hotel with my husband and no children, drink more tea and attend BlogHer in San Diego, amongst other things. But the most important item on the list was this one:

• Not beat myself up if I don’t do everything on this list.

Did I do everything on my list? No, I did not. In fact, I only completed seven of the sixteen things I listed. Still, that’s seven things that I hadn’t done as of this time last year, so that’s something. Plus, I also did a whole lot of stuff that isn’t on that list.

In spite of my failing grade, I’m making another list this year. I think the list is more like a list of aspirations or ideas than a to-do list I must complete. It’s about setting a tone, if you will. I think that’s a valuable exercise, no matter what comes of it. So without further ado, here’s my list for this year.

What I Will do at 36

• Create a work space that is not shared with my kids’ toys, so that I can go inside it and be in work mode, not mom mode.
• Visit New York with my husband, and go to BlogHer.
• Grow quinoa (the seedlings are already coming up!).
• Learn how to walk in high heels.
• Source some non-toxic makeup for myself, just in case I want to be fancy and stuff.
• Sew myself a dress from a vintage pattern.
• Start a regular meditation practice.
• Take a pottery class.
• Spend more time at the playground with my children.
• Swim in the ocean.
• Bake cookies.
• Teach my daughter Hannah to knit.
• Teach my son Jacob to wipe his own bum (if I succeed at this one, the only bum I wipe will be my own, such liberation!).
• Ride a roller coaster.
• Get more sleep – at least seven and a half hours each night.
• Take a fabulous vacation with my family.
• Not beat myself up if I don’t do everything on this list.

What do you want to do with your next year on earth? I love it if you’d play along in honour of my birthday!

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