Was 2010 a good year for you? Or a difficult one you’re glad to put behind you? What are some things you did wrong last year, some things you’re proud of, and some things you wish you could change?

What will you do right in 2011? What will you do more of, and what will you do less of?

Today I’m spending some soul searching time looking back on 2010, which like 2009 was an incredibly difficult year for my family. I can’t even count how many funerals I went to this year. I don’t want to dwell on the negativity and bad things that happened in 2010. But I also don’t want to blithely pretend bad things didn’t happen.

I need to learn from mistakes I made, and from experiences that happened to me. Next I can move on and continue to strive for happiness.

Many changes happened in my life and household in 2010. Right now I feel like I am rebuilding my life, but I don’t like to say it that way. That makes it sound like my life was destroyed. It wasn’t. Things just changed. I also don’t want to say “I’m re-inventing myself” because that makes it sound like I’m pretending, or making something up.

QUICK THINGS TO DO TODAY:

• Fridge and freezer maintenance. Clean one shelf, one drawer, or two door shelves of your fridge or freezer.
• Laundry all done? Beds changed and made up fresh?
• Check your pet’s tags today. Is your contact info up-to-date and readable? Or is your pet’s tag wearing down? Is it time to buy a new collar, inscribe a new tag? Does your pet still have their license and rabies tags attached to their collar?
• Need to scoop any cat litter or clean catboxes? With the snow and cold weather, my cat is using his indoor box much more often than normal.
• How are your nails looking? Need to touch up your manicure for the upcoming New Year’s festivities?

TODAY’S PROJECT: Look Back on 2010

Grab your calendar, diary, Livejournal, Facebook notes, or just your brain and reflect back on your last year. What are the happiest things that happened? What are your best memories from 2010?

Family:

Did you make time for your friends and family? Did you enjoy some quiet evenings at home, and make eating at the family dinner table a priority in your home? Were you able to take a family trip this year? Any relatives you haven’t talked to or written to in over 6 months? Have you had professional photos taken of your kids in the last 12 months to send to relatives? (Or if you can’t afford it, pics taken with your own digital camera and printed out on your printer or sent via the web?)

Friends:

Have you been able to enjoy time with friends? Be there for them when they needed you? Anybody you’ve lost touch with over the years that you’d like to work to reconnect with? Anybody you should invite to come visit, or make plans to meet up with? How many birthdays did you miss this year because you forgot to check your calendar? (I’m guilty of at least six!)

Home:

Did you keep up with your home repairs, general housekeeping maintenance, de-cluttering and improvements? Do you feel happy to come home after a long day, because your home is a cheerful refuge? Are there some things you want to change in 2011, just to keep things fresh and mix it up a little? Perhaps some new decor or furniture re-arrangement?

Yourself:

What are you proud of yourself for this year? Have you been able to give yourself time to do the things you enjoy? Have you blogged, journaled, cooked, crafted, gardened, vacationed, gone to a movie, taken an online or in person class, gone to your favorite restaurant, snuck yourself a naughty fast food treat, gone to coffee or tea with your best friend, given generously to charity, enjoyed a Girls Night Out? Is there a stack of books you mean to do a better job of enjoying next year? Do you feel beautiful? Do you like the way your hair currently looks, or are you going to try something different in 2011?

I’m not asking for comments on this post, because your answers are private, meant for yourself to think about, not for us to snoop at!

Happy New Year!!!