Growth in 2022: October

Happy Halloween! I know I say this all the time, but it really does feel like time speeds up as we approach the end of the year. Perhaps it's something to do with the days getting shorter or the increase in activities that starts in the fall, but it seems like just last week we were celebrating the High Holy Days, which fell at the end of September/beginning of October. And now here we are, at the very last day of the month yet again.

It's not only the last day of the month, it's also the last Monday, which means it's time for my monthly One Little Word check-in and link-up with Carolyn.

Another sign that we're approaching the end of the year is that it's getting increasingly difficult to come up with a new facet of how I've had Growth in the past month. I really had to think a lot about it this weekend (which, sadly, I had plenty of time to do, because Rainbow came down with some sort of sinus/respiratory virus on Saturday, so we canceled some plans and laid low for much of it). I know that I've been doing a lot of good work on myself this year: I've expanded my viewpoints and learned new things through my reading, I've taken on more responsibility and embraced the moments of "adulting," and I've made more of an effort to be kind to myself and take care of myself by making healthy choices. I know that I'm a work in progress and always will be, so I don't consider the growth to be done, but all the same it can be a challenge to look at my word in a new way every month!

Finally yesterday afternoon, as I was looking at my to-do list, I realized that using such a list is something that has happened a lot recently. With the everyday school schedule, work meetings, board/executive committee/committee meetings for the synagogue, social events, and planning for the bat mitzvah, there is a lot going on our lives, so I rely a lot on technology like our shared family calendar to help me keep everything straight. I also know enough about myself to know that I can't count on my brain to remember to do things, so I have frequently been making a daily to-do list to make sure things that need to get done aren't forgotten. Sometimes items don't get completed for several days simply because I've run out of time on any given day; sometimes I take advantage of a quiet work day and have everything crossed off by the time I have to pick Rainbow off at school. The big thing here is I've recognized that this is a system that works for me and helps me not procrastinate (intentionally or not) by forgetting things I need to do. There are so many digital tools out there that are touted as lifesavers, but for me, I like a piece of paper and a pen -- there's nothing quite as satisfying as crossing an item off the list!

(By the way? One thing I've crossed off my list today is publishing my new sock pattern. You'll find it on Ravelry and Payhip, if you're interested.)