When You Say Yes

Via

My birthday is coming up.

Now, while this realisation usually results in squeals of excitement because it means there's a monster party on the horizon, the last few years, things have been a bit... different.

My 24th birthday was a disaster! I decided I would finally be a 'grown-up' and not throw a theme party. Instead, I booked a table at an Indian restaurant that came highly recommended. After no food or service for over two hours, we left, went to KFC and then home to play 30 Seconds. So... no more pretending to be a grown-up, then.

Last year, instead of having a monster, free-for-all theme party, I had a small, intimate murder mystery dinner. It was, in a word, awesome. But it wasn't without its hiccups either. My nephew had an accident in the early hours of the day of the party, so my sister and brother-in-law couldn't come. Still, it was a great party, and started a trend. :)

The thing is, it hasn't been about the party hiccups and disasters. It's about getting older. It's about mortality, which was a really bizarre and distant concept to me up until two-and-a-half years ago. Since then, it's been all too real. Birthdays have become less about the celebration and more about taking stock of what has been achieved in the last year, and planning the changes I need to make in my life for the next 12 months. Which brings me to my point.

I read this post, and started pondering what kind of list I could come up with for myself for, say, July? This is what I ended up with:

1. FINALLY become a blood donor

2. Spend a weekend creating healthy & tasty meals & menus for at least one week at a time.

3. Tell the people I love something that I adore about them, unfailingly.

4. Create something when the idea / inspiration strikes. No matter what time of day or night.

5. Clear out my cupboards, jewellery, accessories and shoes.

6. Make a new bag. Sell it.

7. Do not give negative people the satisfaction of getting to me.

8. Finish the projects I've started, which have been lying, half-finished, in the studio or spare room for months now.

9. Plan a holiday. Properly. Research. Vision Boards. Plan of Action.

10. Have the balls to rock an extreme look (outfit and hairstyle) just because.

Bonus: De-clutter my environment, and, by extension, my soul.

At the end of the month, I'll let you know how I did on these little goals, and, if this list has worked the way I'd like it to, I might even do a list for August. But that's planning ahead again, and that's rather scary for me! hehe

x