2012 Year in Review

By Bonnie Harris

This post almost didn't happen. I attempted to do this a few days ago and found that my blog "didn't exist." News to me. After doing some research, I found that my blog had been hijacked. It took a lot longer than I would have liked to recover everything, and it got me thinking about time. It's such a precious commodity, and I know I'm not the only one who wishes for more. So, why would someone spend time hijacking other people's blogs or hacking into accounts or any of that other stuff? I'm not sure I see the benifit in any of that. Then again, I'm not the one spending the time on it.

Time led to thinking about the past year. Have I/Did I use my time in the wisest way possible?
Answer: I definitely didn't spend my time taking over other people's accounts, but I think I did all right. Overall, I think I did well. I think everyone does well, but we can always do better.

• How did you do with your time this year?
• Did you accomplish what you wanted to?
• Did those priorities change?
• Do you feel good about what was done this year?

These are all questions I'm sure most people think about around this time (or variations of the same questions). So, to give you a jump start—in other words, confession time.

I got close to accomplishing my goals this year. Did they change? Yes. Was I able to keep up with the changes? No. Do I wish I got more done? Yes, but I learned a lot.

• I learned that it's OK to change directions.
• I learned it's OK to decide that a particular goal just isn't going to happen and to let it go.
• I learned how to prioritize better. Sort of. :)
• I learned that life is short, and sometimes you have to put the keyboard away and say, "Oh well. It's not what's important today."
• I learned that just because I started doing it well at the beginning of the year doesn't mean that I will be able to finish it as strong as I'd like

Who knows if any of this makes sense to anyone. Hopefully, you get the idea. But as I look forward to the next year and it's challenges, I'm able to do so with new understanding and strategies and purpose. I wish I could say I knew what was going to happen and that I would accomplish everything, but I can't. That's something I've had a very difficult time admitting. Now that I have, though, it sure makes things easier to take in bite size pieces.

So as you take a look at the year, remember that it's OK if things didn't get finished. Look at what was accomplished. Remember you are strong and can overcome anything placed in your way. Remember that you are not alone.

Happy New Year! Happy Year-in-review! Happy Writing!