Mid-Year Reset

Hello, and welcome back to It's A Classical Life. I'm so glad you have chosen to stop by. I know your time is precious, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for choosing to spend some time with me today. For many people around the world, the end of June symbolises an end of a year and the beginning of July, the start of a new one. We are in the depths of winter here and although it doesn't technically feel like a new year, it does feel like time for a reset and a reevaluation. I've been reading Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy lately and I loved his descriptive writing. This quote spoke to me, especially the use of "transformation." We don't often think of winter as a time for transformation, but it absolutely is. It got me thinking about how special this time is; not only to transform, but to reflect and reset. I finished my finance subject last week (such a relief!) and have a couple of weeks break before the next one begins. Currently the children are home from school for two weeks, on their winter holidays. We like to hibernate during these two weeks, to help us have the energy to get through the next term before spring begins. It is the perfect time to rest, and reassess how the year has gone so far.

First of all, I am pulling out my journal that I began at the start of the year. Journalling is a wonderful way to track progress, reflect on ideas, thoughts and feelings, and to document changes, distractions and problems as they may arise. If you are new to journalling, you might want to read my thoughts on this wonderful, classic past-time here. Truly there is a journal for everyone!

In my journal I made notes back in January on my goals and hopes for this year. By reading over these I can honestly ask myself - what have I had success with this year? Am I still on track to meet these goals? Are these goals even relevant anymore? What has distracted me along the way? Am I making progress?  By being honest about these things and reflecting on them now, I am able to make any corrections and to get back on track (or create a new track!) for the next six months. Once I had read over my goals, I recommitted to most of them and now have a good idea of where I need to redirect my energy and where I have been losing (wasting) time. As I try to become more focused and more discerning about how I want my life to continue, I am doing my best to really enjoy the journey. It is unique to me, as yours is unique to you. I share these things here because they work for me and maybe they might work for you, if you are looking to be a more active participant in your life's journey. If something else works, then please share it in the comments below; I love hearing from you!

In the latest newsletter from The Cheapskates Club, Cath talks about preparing for Christmas. It may seem like a long way off but when you consider how quickly the year has gone already, December will be here before we know it. My husband and I have been working on our budget to ensure that money is being squirrelled away now for the end of the year (actually we have been doing this all year, but we've just made a small increase for the next six months). Whilst we did this, we did another review of our budget and financial situation. I find this so helpful to work out on a spreadsheet with an Income Summary and an Expenses Summary. When I know exactly how much has come in and how much needs to go out, I can see where we might have some wiggle room to top up or redirect money. 

Around the house, I have embarked on a big de-cluttering and cleaning event. We have taken more than seven boxes and bags to our local charity shop which feels great. I have moved the big appliances (the fridge, the stove, the deep freeze etc) and cleaned behind them all. Blinds from the bedroom have come down and been wiped clean. We've had a lot of condensation this year and mould is beginning to form. I'd like to do away with the blinds altogether for this reason, but with our old windows they do keep a lot of the cold air out in the winter. We also use block-out curtains to help save on heating costs over the winter, and cooling costs in the summer. 

The pantries were emptied and wiped clean. New inventories were written up. I've rearranged a few storage areas, cleared out things that were no longer being used and am really enjoying all the space I've freed up. Grocery prices continue to go up here, but we still doing our best to keep a well-stocked pantry. I'm so glad I put away a few things away for these winter holidays - treats and easy lunches for the kids who always seem to be hungry during these cold days!

When it's all written out like this it sounds like a lot, so I've summarised it briefly below in case you want a little checklist for your own mid-year reset.

• Decluttering - 
• Pantry and kitchen restock and clean - 
• Cleaning project (the blinds) - 
• Finances review - 
• Goals review - 

We chipped away at these things little by little. I found that once my physical environment was in order I was in a much better position to reflect on my emotional and mental journey and recommit to the goals I had set for my own mental growth and development. 

How are you feeling now that we have passed the mid-year solstice? Are you on track for the second half of the year? Are you happy to cruise along or do you also need to revisit and recommit? 

Thanks again for stopping by; it always means so much,