2012 was a year of change for me. My life circumstances morphed in several ways — all for the better, but I found myself tested pretty severely at times. I came through stronger, though. Here’s what I learned…
Decisions
- I hate making choices, especially important ones with lasting repercussions, so making a lot of them in a short period of time isn’t good for my mental health.
- Despite that, I can still be a decision-making guru when I need to be and not fall into a million wibbling little pieces…mostly.
- Even though decisions are hard, most decisions aren’t life-altering.
- With the ones that are, I’ll just know the right path, even if I’m scared. Or the path will turn out to be right, one or the other.
HOMEownership
- I deserve a beautiful house that I love.
- A house, like a person or a wedding, doesn’t have to be perfect or break the bank to be beautiful.
- Upscaling from a smaller apartment to a bigger house doesn’t automatically solve the clutter problem.
perfectionism
- It’s okay to let go of my impossibly high expectations for myself and scale back — repeatedly, if need be. (Funnily enough, that only makes me stronger. Who’d have thunk it?)
- The details don’t always matter — sometimes the big picture is the important part.
- Good enough really is good enough.
At the beginning of 2012, I chose the word “simplicity” to guide me through the year. Looking back, “imperfection” might have been more apt. But in some ways, aren’t they the same thing?
I knew coming into it that the year would be crazy, so even though I identify first and foremost as a writer, I didn’t put any pressure on myself to produce. (That in itself was an accomplishment, let me tell you.) But in fact I did make some good headway — tune in on Monday for that update!
What did you learn in 2012?
I agree with the perfectionism thing–it’s hard to let go (especially when I’m editing my own writing). But, as you said, sometimes good enough is good enough.
Ah, self-editing. That’s a whole ‘nother can of worms!
I re-learned that my head is harder than most obstacles. If I bang against it long enough, it will probably fall over. Of course I’ll have one heckuva headache, but then everything has its price.
That’s a good thing to know, KD. Probably.