Getting ready for my 2015

I know by now, y'all know that I like to pin things on pinterest, then screenshot them, then load them onto my blog straight from my 'puter.  Yeah.  Well, that is what I did tonight too.  I looked back!  The last time I did a blog post was Dec 13th.  That just might be a record!!  That is so pitiful!!  This girl has been BUSY!!  And I misplaced my computer too.  yeah, it happens!!  

 So, let's see... LOTS has happened since then.  I am in the midst of filling out my own 2015 Let's Grow Planner, and really doing some soul searching.  Seriously, I think the first week of the year is my favorite one of the entire year.  OH, the possibilities!!

I read where John Maxwell says his favorite is from Christmas Day until Jan 1.  That's when he reflects on his year and starts to organize his calendar to be very intentional about how he uses his time and what things he needs to spend LESS time on.  Isn't that a great idea.

 Something I DEFINITELY learned last year is that if you write it down, it is in yo consciousness.  And when it is in yo consciousness, it is MUCH more likely to come to pass.  I cannot believe all that happened in my 2014!  I wrote down 100 things I hoped to see happen in 2014.  I didn't see them all come to fruition, but a whole lot of them did!!

So... today, I sit and I plan.  I am using my planner from last year, which I really loved, but decided it needed to be a bit more mainstreamed for me to recommend it, AND I wanted to impart some of the wisdom of my man, John, so I just created my own.  BOOM!

 It's fun looking back and seeing what all has been done this year.  I am not a good rememberer.  In fact, I asked Brian, from my office, who is an awesome rememberer if he'd sit down with me and help me recall some of the biggies that I KNOW I am forgetting about 2014.  And with that... I am also looking ahead.  Now THAT I am really good at!!  One of my top five strengths is FUTURISTIC.  You've heard me talk about strength testing, right? !  Well, I am a bigger proponent of it now than perhaps I even was a month ago when I last blogged.  ha.  Seriously, I find more and more that knowing what it was that you were gifted with helps you know what you were created FOR!  It helps you find your way in life.

 Remember my word las year?!   It was EXPLORE.  And so I started little mini albums of all the places I went so I could recall them at a glance.  Yeaaaaaahhhh, that didn't really last.  But... I got through May!!  And I can recall Tucson, Arizona.  West Salem, Wisconsin.  Breckenridge, Colorado. Gulf Shores, Alabama.  Seattle, Washington.  New Orleans, LA.  Lafayette, Louisiana.  Atlanta, Georgia.  Natchez, Mississippi.  Hmmm... no Florida this year.  That I can recall.  Arkansas?  Did I not go to Arkansas?!  Or Tennessee?  what the what?!  Where else did I go?  anyone?  anyone?  Brian or Jessi will remember.  They're my brains.

This is my little book...

 ANd I've been contemplating not going back to Tucson this year, as there are so many other places I haven't been, and so much more to do than the same old thing on the same old trip!  And then....

 I look at these pics and it is ON LIKE A CHICKEN BONE!!!  Jessi... book those flights!! Let's go to Tucson!!

 Mary Allison's sister, Elaina, got married in New Orleans.  That seems like years ago to me.  Seriously!! This year has seen a LOT of excitement.

 And here I am again... getting ready and geared up for 2015.  I am 45 years old.  WHOA.  I am probably on the other side of life.... on the downhill side.  And I gots lots I still wanna do!!

 Who'd a thunk I'd have written my own planner and have it printed and now doing a class on it? ! HUH?!  Well, when I was at the beach in May, with Suzy, (who by the way quit her job as an art teacher of 15 years, is moving to West Monroe tomorrow, to be the new director or we prefer, "Chief Creative Officer" at MoJoy), when she decided I should just design my own.  I started on it, and she insisted I first make one for teachers.  It was sort of a flop.  Just not enough time, I'm afraid to have promoted it well.  I need some feedback from some of you teachers who actually DID buy it.  (send me your critiques at mojoy@att.net)  And then, around August, I started on this one.

 I'm currently filling it out, adding my goals, adding dates I KNOW I want on my calendar, and filling in places I wanna go.  For instance, in 2015, the first week of November, I am getting OUT of my house for 5 days so someone I PAY can come in and decorate my house for Christmas.  And it is already penciled in on my calendar.  That way I can look ahead, hire that person, figure out where I will be during that time, get the grands to keep the girls cause they are in school, and come back home to a decorated space.  I have always done my own house, and the scale at which I do it, I now realize that the pride I feel by doing it myself is OVERRIDDEN by the aggravation I get from a totally destroyed house for the two weeks while I have boxes everywhere as I try to work it in AFTER I get off work every day.  NOPE!  Not in 2015!

 This planner has a "wheel of life" which helps you see how balanced your life is and what area might need a little more attention each month.  This wheel is the first thing that you see at the beginning of each new month.  If you are deficient in a certain area, you go back to the goals set earlier in the book, in one of the eight areas, and pull forward one or two goals in that subarea and address it.  I even encourage you to put it in the calendar so it DOES get done.

 There are areas for contemplation and to add some plain ol' fun and inspiring things. Everyone's completed project will be TOTALLY different!!

 I look forward to helping the class do this page!!  We all need to love and appreciate ourselves a little more!

 As for this... I am looking for orderly, organized, warm, welcoming, happy, and creative.  What about you?  How do you want YOUR home to feel in 2015?

 These books are still available if you want one.  You can log into mojoystudio.com and order yours.  IF you are ordering from your phone, the app is weird, and you have to click the tiny dots/ bars at the top righthand side and you'll have a drop down menu appear.  OR... you can just call the studio on Monday and talk to Suzy and she'll hook you up.  318-884-8334.

Below, you'll see where we have worked together in a private FB page of women who have been to one of the MoJoy retreats to plan an art retreat on the first weekend of May.  Just putting it out there.  There is also a Color Run that weekend, so we plan to have a theme of Color Run going on Friday and Saturday night as well.  There will be limited space, so get your name on the list.

Back to real time... I am having a mini retreat this coming Saturday, the 10th, on how to use your planner.  Also, we'll be making three to four projects to support our goals, word of the year, and vision/ dreams for 2015.  I can't wait.  I'm as excited as the participants, cause I'll be right there with them, dreaming big for the next year.  If you are interested in the class, there should be a place for that on the site too.  If not, holler at Suzy!!  Oh... and if there is enough interest, I might be adding a second class on the evening of the 13th for those who can't make the 10th.  Let me know.

I wish for you great things in 2015!!

Mo