Well, well, well. What do we have here? I’m looking at a pile of cut-out magazine articles about writing and blogging that I’ve collected throughout the years (one was from 2006.) It’s been daunting to go through the amount of paperwork I’ve accumulated. What better time to purge and lighten the load than the end of the year?

I didn’t always do this. I would see the number of papers I had and organize them the best I could, hoping that one day, I would have the time to read them. I figured it was all helpful information, and knowledge is power, right? Yes, well, I went a little overboard. Why? Because I always doubted myself and chose to spend my time organizing and cleaning the stuff instead of doing an action. That way, I had an excuse as to why I was “busy.”

How many of us take stock of our year? I never did until this year. The other day, I thought, have I changed at all since last year at this time? It took me a bit because I was doing the same job, doing the same habits, and living in the same place, but I realized I had changed. My mindset has significantly improved.

When we have a good mindset, we can make better decisions that serve our lives better. So, for the first time, I’m going to do these things I’m writing about and go into the new year with a tidy space and mind.

Here are some ideas to think about as we wrap up the year. The best present we can give ourselves is time. Time spent with loved ones. Time to do the things that bring us joy. Time to accomplish goals.

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ASK YOURSELF

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• Are you where you want to be in your life? Are you happy? If not, why? This is going to help you figure out what you want, which will help you begin your new journey.

• Do you like the space where you live? Can you part with some things to make it visually less cluttered? It’ll help reduce stress and make you and everyone in the space feel calmer.

• Is there any unfinished business you need to wrap up? Do you need to forgive someone to lighten the load in your heart?

 

Maybe it’s because I’m getting older, but I feel like life is flying by. I want to be intentional with my days and live the life I want, not live a story from my past or keep living a cluttered day where the days blur and a month goes by in a blink.

We all have the capability to wrap up the best present – to live great lives! Sure, it takes some work, but anything worthwhile takes effort. You can do it. You’re worth it!

Thank you for reading this. Let me know in the comments below what you need to wrap up as the year winds down. I hope you are enjoying this holiday season and taking the

time to be present to take it all in.

To Wrapping Up the Best Present,

Francesca