A new year has begun

One year has ended and another one has started. It is good to turn over a new leaf, but what makes us think that this year will be any better than the past year? It is always good to evaluate the previous year, and to make plans for a new year.

By now, most likely, many of the New Year's resolutions made have been broken. Still, it is good to establish some resolutions or to set goals. Remember, if you shoot for the moon and miss, you may hit a star. A star is high also.

With the holidays over, we attempt to get back to the regular schedule.

That can be a challenge when the past days have been enjoyable.

The reality will probably strike in people's minds at this time, when they finally realize that they overspent for Christmas according to the funds available to them. Those bills start coming in that have to be paid, which will require better management.

One of the problems, for many, is the number of credit cards that are have been used to the maximum limit. Regardless of the amount of income, when this happens it is difficult to overcome.

Is time going faster these days? By the time this is published, we will be into the fifth day of the new year. Before we know it, we will be wondering where this year went.

The downside of starting a new year is that April 15 will be here before we are ready for it. It is time to get started getting the income tax forms ready to file. How easy it is to put that off and then get desperate, because it is not ready. It's astounding what people go through to have the opportunity to pay the income taxes!

I don't know about you, but I did not get everything done this past year that I wanted to get done. I suppose that this year will be the same way. I have an interest in many things and this is in addition to all of the things that have to be done. I find myself so busy that I do not have time to work.

One day Joe Kraft and I we were talking about not getting things done. He commented that in the same amount of time that it took to do 10 things when we were younger, we now only get two things done. That may explain part of the dilemma -- we do not get things done as fast as we did in previous years.

It is my desire this year to get in some fishing and golf.

There is also a major need to go through stuff and sort it out. Lots of stuff on the computer needs to be deleted. I also have a desire to go through old pictures and to make sure they are labeled -- and perhaps some need to be thrown away. I have my personal archive that needs to be sorted.

I'd like to do more reading. It appears that I do a small amount of reading. Still, I remain interested in it. Even magazines are not read. Could this be due to spending time on the computer. Compared to some people, I do not spend that much time on the computer.

It has always been hard for me to set priorities and to get the higher priority things done. It is easy to start something and to jump to something else -- leaving things that do not get done, even if they are important. I do not think that I am the only one with such a habit.

Much of the things that happen in life is based on health. Unfortunately, many do not realize that until later in life and then wish they had taken better care of themselves.

As we start a new year, each one of us needs to put a priority on health. Our lifestyles are a major factor in our health.

There are too many people who have a lifestyle that leads to bad health in the future. Among the things that need to be done is exercising, eating properly, and drinking plenty of water.

I will admit that I have gotten away from exercising. For years, I walked two miles each day. Once a person gets away from exercising, it is hard to get back into a routine of doing so.

Also, a person has to work back up to it. For me, walking needs to be a higher priority. It is easy to determine that a person does not have time. Still, is there any thing more important than to take the time to walk or to exercise in some manner?

The past few days, time has been spent watching the many football games.

Some were watched more closely than others, depending upon who was playing and how close the game was. Some of the games came out good, some did not.

Again, it is good to stop and do some evaluating as we have ended one year, to develop plans for the new year.

Maybe this year is will be different and I will catch up on all of the things that need to be done and I will still take part in some events that I enjoy.

May 2005 be a great and prosperous year for you. I will be back with you next week, if the Lord is willing and the creeks don't rise.