52 things I will try to accomplish in the 52 weeks of my 52nd year of life, August 22, 2015- August 21, 2016.

The year I turned 50 was not my favorite.  While my friends were celebrating their 50th birthdays with epic celebrations, grand adventures, and admirable achievements, I spent the year mourning the loss of my husband. But time has a way of softening grief and bringing joy back to the forefront.  Turning 52 seemed to be like turning a corner – I felt ready to move forward.

I considered celebrating by hosting a ‘gratitude party’ or going on an exotic trip.  Great ideas but once they were over, life goes back to normal.  I contemplated doing something that would improve my health such as losing 52 pounds or training for a week long bike trip.  If you know me at all, you know those were not contemplated very long.  Those options sounded to much like work and not enough like celebrating.

I started thinking about what I wanted more of in my life.  I wanted more time to read, to spend more time with my family and friends, to bake more often and play more board games.  I wanted to garden more, become more organized, to treat myself better, to finish the projects I had started.  In other words, I wanted to stop putting off the things that bring me joy, peace, and contentment.

I also realized that I was 52 and there were 52 weeks in the year.  This led to me taking the things I wanted more of and creating 52 Project.  It’s a list of 52 things that I want to accomplish in the year between my 52nd and 53rd birthdays.  I’ve kept it simple:

• Everything on the list has 52 or some derivative thereof as part of it. 26 is half of 52, 104 is 52 doubled.
•  It has to be positive in nature.  Losing weight didn’t make the list.  Eating 5 fruits and vegetables on 52 different days did make the list.
• I can’t beat myself up for not accomplishing something but I can adjust as time goes on. Praying/meditating for 52 minutes a week quickly became Praying/meditating for 52 minutes a month.
• Things can be finite and quickly accomplished, such as planting 52 bulbs, or ongoing, such as walking 52 miles each month.

And so the list began.  It includes reading 52 books, emptying 52 boxes, feeding 52 people around my table(not all at the same time!), taking the bus to work 52 times, trying 52 new recipes, and writing 52 letters.  Now in week 15 of the 52, I’ve only finished a few things but I’m having fun making progress.  #17 on the list is to write 52 journal or blog entries.  When I told friends about the 52 Project many asked to be kept apprised of my progress. I’m all about being efficient so it seemed prudent to combine the two.  I invite you to check this page occasionally and see what’s on the list and how I’m progressing. It should be worth a few laughs. 😉