Top 5 lists of 2023
How do you measure, measure a year?
And yes, that last line is from 525,600 minutes from RENT.
I thought about blogging about 2023, in one of those year-end posts that tries to make sense of things and put a bow on it. Because of course the human mind loves stories, and endings, and that isn’t how time and life actually work, but we manage it anyway.
Then it dawned on me that 2023 went entirely pear-shaped for me, and maybe for you too.
So today, I’m sharing my Top 5 lists of 2023.
Maybe they will help you to find some meaning or helpful nuggets for yourself.
5 things you are proud of yourself for this year
5 best days or activities this year (feel free to add a reason)
5 things you don’t want to do anymore (habits, behaviors, jobs)
5 placeS . . . (you enjoyed visiting, you most want to go to, etc.)
5 people who . . . (helped me most, I need to set boundaries with, I enjoyed spending time with, etc.)
I’d love to know if you complete one (or more) of these lists for yourself. And, of course, you can make them lists of 7 or 10 or more.
A bonus prompt:
This one is more of a “the year that was” exercise.
For each month of the year, write a three-sentence paragraph. The first: what you did that month. The second: how you felt that month, or how you feel about it now that you think about it. The third: A conclusion: Would you like more or less of that in your life? Or what lesson might you have learned?
My January entry might look like this: In January, I decided to go all-in on my business this year; Morris and I also took a Caribbean cruise as part of re-entering the world after the pandemic. I felt super hopeful about my business, and getting away from home for time alone with Morris was wonderful for our bond, plus we reclaimed our joy in traveling. Given what I know now about what the year was bringing us, my business stuff seems “cute”, but I am super glad that Morris and I had that time together to tighten our connection before the shit really hit the fan.
For context, and because I am not going to share the month-by-month here: Morris and I came home from that cruise in February, with Covid. I fully recovered toward the end of February, and on March 5th, my dad dropped dead while golfing. In early April, Mom was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer that was everywhere, and she died in July. It meant lots of business ideas got parked, and I spent a LOT of time in South Carolina without Morris.
