JANUARY

No post holidays blues for me. Nothing is more satisfying than putting those Christmas decorations away. The house looks bigger, cleaner, and free from festive clutter.

There is no goose in the oven. No last minute shopping to be done. No budget to go over. No gifts to be wrapped.

The outdoor lights are packed away. There’s no wreath on the door. The roses are cut back. The trees are near bare.

Instagram slows down to dog shots and scenes of a winter sky.  The holiday brag is over as I settle in and live real life.

Like cleaning out my closet. Getting rid of all the excess. “Try it on. Would you have your ex see you in it?”

Hell no. Out it goes!

It’s the excess. Cleaning out wipes the slate clean. It simplifies my life. I mean how many dated dresses, white t-shirts, and skinny jeans do I really need?

January is the month for renewal. It’s cold outside, so I take a deeper look inside.  Besides scanning the house, I scan the body, the mind, the habits I like – and those I don’t.

It’s easy to do because there aren’t a lot of distractions this time of year - only football playoffs and a good winter line-up of television with long nights to watch them. 

I make no resolutions, though, no forced things that I know I’ll fail at, and feel bad about. It’s all about boosting self-esteem, right?

I just try to take a deeper look. I mean, do I really need to be that aggressive on the road?  Can I just leave earlier and not be late, not jam that one more thing in before arriving at an appointment? Can I just be a little more patient with my aging mother when she calls for the fifth time in one hour?

Can I just be moderate? Stop obsessing? Be in the moment?

I’m giving it a whirl.