One Little Word - CHANGE

This post comes with a warning - it's very LONG!

All month I have been working on a new project.  One which I was going to share at some point but when the offer of a blog hop came along I thought now was the time to let you know what I have been up to.  So if you have arrived here from Kathryn Riddick's blog, hello and welcome  ... if you are a usual Inkyart blog follower, hop on board and off we go.

So what is One Little Word ... well I came across it quite by accident.  I wrote about the beginning of my journey on a team forum that I belong to - hence all the smilie icons .... here's what I wrote at the beginning of January .... 

I am a big resolution kinda girl (okay scrub the word big cos that's a bit too honest for comfort) ...  .... last year I wrote my resolutions in a journal ... I wrote all sorts of heartfelt thoughts for what I thought was going to be a defining year for me  of course it was not  if anything it was worse than any year I can remember  and I never touched the journal again during 2010  

So this year I re-read those resolutions and resolved to not write any more ... (I could just photocopy last years and re-date them  ) ... and quite by accident I found One Little Word (OLW) by Ali Edwards - though Anita Meade's site ... and spent a week or so deciding if this was going to be my 'thing'. Have read and re-read my little journal over and over the word kind of chose me ... CHANGE .... such a good word for the place I am at right now.

So that's how it all started.  I think that signing up for a year's worth of the OLW classes will keep my word in the forefront of my mind - the first 'class' has been quite thought provoking and its all contained in a scrapbooking album .... so it is appealing to my creative side too.  I haven't quite finished the first pages but here is what I have so far.

This is a very personal thing for me ... but one which I know will affect my whole family.  We are all embarking upon a year of CHANGE in one way or another and so the definitions and quotes have been written in this way.  

One of the first things to do was to take a photo of yourself in January .... here's the photo but I am going to create a front cover for the album incorporating it with some embellishments and my word ...  Now those that know me well know I don't like photos of me .... it took me ages to take this photo - I used the camera on the computer, no-one was in the house,  I couldn't stop laughing at myself ... but I got there in the end - making it black and white and with fuzzy edges .... I think I am hoping no-one will recognise me!

And here's a photo of my desk at work .... yes I have pinned the word to the wall and my notebook - to achieve the sense of wellbeing and peace I need to make some changes in many areas of my life.

I've also been collecting other quotes and bits and pieces - amazing what you can find when you are focusing on One Little Word .... only last night whilst watching my most favourite TV show ever ... Brothers and Sisters ... someone quoted the Serenity Prayer .... 

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; 

courage to change the things I can;

and wisdom to know the difference.

I will be jotting all of these down and inserting them into the album too - there is inspiration and motivation everywhere.  

I decided to make the first few months very personal ... actions just for me ... So my CHANGES for January were:

• I've been working very long hours; so I wrote to my boss and asked if I could leave the office at 4.30pm every day (I'm at my desk before 8am each day); he said YES - first step towards that work / life balance.

• I've exercised every day .... just walking for January - that was a shock I can tell you ... but last week alone I walked 30 kms.

• I've re-joined Weight Watchers (there really should be a discount for third or is it fourth time offenders) .... and during January I have lost 2.6 kgs.

Taking back control of my life .... that's how January's CHANGES are feeling right now.  January has left me feeling happier, more positive and confident that this is the right path for me.

So I hope I haven't waffled on too much - and if you are sat there thinking 'I could do that' .... check out the details here .... it's not too late, and if you sign up let me know, there is a real sense of community and united-ness amongst us OLWers .... its empowering and I just know that good things are going to happen - all in the name of OLW.

As this is a blog hop it is time to hop off to visit Heather, have a super time hopping around and if you get lost there is a complete list at the end of this post.

I'd also like to say thanks to Margie for organising the blog hop - brilliant idea and great work Margie - thank you.

Hope to see you again ... and yes now that I have started I will definitely be posting once a month to let you know the progress - I've already made February's action plan  - so I have already made a start.

Have a super day

Nikki

x

 
1) Margie http://xnomads.typepad.com <http://xnomads.typepad.com/>
2) Jill Conyers http://jillconyers.typepad.com/life_as_i_see_it/
3) Monica http://scraplifters.blogspot.com <http://scraplifters.blogspot.com/>    
4) Lynn W http://crafty-creativity.blogspot.com <http://crafty-creativity.blogspot.com/>
5) Miranda http://mirandasscrapsite.blogspot.com <http://mirandasscrapsite.blogspot.com/>
6) Mandy http://captureandcreate.wordpress.com <http://captureandcreate.wordpress.com/>
7) Kathy http://katswonderings.blogspot.com <http://katswonderings.blogspot.com/>
8) Lisa http://makeyourownescape.blogspot.com <http://makeyourownescape.blogspot.com/>
9) Donna http://donnabryantdurand.blogspot.com <http://donnabryantdurand.blogspot.com/>
10) Abbey http://athomewiththerichardsfamily.blogspot.com/
11) Sam http://learncreatedo.wordpress.com/
12) April http://capturethememories.blogspot.com <http://capturethememories.blogspot.com/>
13) Nicky http:// <http://seejanebake.blogspot.com/> seejanebake.blogspot.com <http://seejanebake.blogspot.com/>
14) Rebekah http://istampscrapcraft.blogspot.com/
15) Relly http://rel.ly <http://rel.ly/>
16) Nancy http://goshery.blogspot.com <http://goshery.blogspot.com/>
17) Cynthia http://paperpapereverywhere.blogspot.com/
18) Kathryn http://katlodesigns.com <http://katlodesigns.com/>
19) Nikki http://www.inkyart.com.au <http://www.inkyart.com.au/>
20) Heather http://scrappyhare.blogspot.com <http://scrappyhare.blogspot.com/>
21) Gayle www.lifeonlilypadlane.blogspot.com <http://www.lifeonlilypadlane.blogspot.com/>
22) Kristina http://ciqis.blogspot.com <http://ciqis.blogspot.com/>
23) Debra http://blakleyhomeplace.blogspot.com <http://blakleyhomeplace.blogspot.com/>  
24) Becky http://beckyandjames.com <http://beckyandjames.com/>
25) Amy http://reflectivesnapshots.com <http://reflectivesnapshots.com%20/>
26) Marlene http://moore-fun-in-the-sun.blogspot.com/ <http://moore-fun-in-the-sun.blogspot.com/>
27) Maureen http://cookingmylife.blogspot.com <http://cookingmylife.blogspot.com/>
28) Cheri http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com <http://cheriandrews.blogspot.com/>
29) Monica Scrapmom http://questtoperfectimperfection.blogspot.com <http://questtoperfectimperfection.blogspot.com/>
30) Jan http://mysimplelittlelife.typepad.com <http://mysimplelittlelife.typepad.com/>
31) Junelle http://yesandamenblog.blogspot.com/p/contact-me.html
32) Margaret http://www.gutsymom.blogspot.com <http://www.gutsymom.blogspot.com/>
33) Sharyn            http://www.analteredlife.com <http://www.analteredlife.com/>
34) Tere http://terecontodomicorazon.blogspot.com/