Day One

Welcome 2023.

Word of the Year: Proactive
adjective
1. serving to prepare for, intervene in, or control an expected occurrence or situation, especially a negative or challenging one; anticipatory

Proactive is the opposite of reactive. Actions that are proactive are initiated not in reaction to a situation but instead out of a desire to make a positive change, prepare for a situation, or prevent something from happening.

I want to be more proactive this year, instead of reactive. I want to take charge of my swimming through life, instead of just floating along, dealing with whatever comes along. Why not elect to meet that head on, instead of waiting until it’s an issue?

Spirit Messenger of the Year: Black-capped Chickadee
“Take your eyes off your problems and fears, and set them on your goals.”
- often associated with extroversion and charisma
- symbols of friendship and agreeability
- due to their various vocalizations, they are associated with communication
- the presence of a chickadee may indicate the correct path to take
- it is a lucky little symbol that nature itself recognizes you as a positive spirit
- symbolic of guidance, honesty, tenacity, and courage
- uniquely gifted communicators
- success in creative pursuits
- intensely protective of their “flock”
- trust your gut instincts
- symbol of friendship and “found family”
- cut down on needless spending and save for a rainy day

A damn fine spirit to work with. But holy shit, that last line caught me unawares, but damn do I need to hear it. It is one of my goals this year, to be a LOT more mindful of where my money is going. Because I have been less than frugal with my money in 2022.

Not that this was necessarily a bad thing. I am making a nice paycheck. I stay current with all my bills PLUS adding a good chunk to my savings each paycheck, and THEN have fun with my money. But I need to be significantly more disciplined with the handling of my finances.

But I could be doing so much better. I need to stop buying things just to have them. I want to focus more on EXPERIENCES than belongings. So lots of clearing out the clutter and downsizing for me this year.