2017 Musings and a Reader Survey - Southern State of Mind Blog by Heather

Happy official New Year friends. Hard to believe it is already the second week of the new year- I feel like I am just coming up for air. While I may not have hit the ground running like many others right at the first of the year, I have really enjoyed lots of extra family time and just recharging in general after the craze of the holidays.

With the start of a New Year, there is definitely optimism in the air and I love the overall feeling of a fresh start. However, I am not one for making long lists of New Years resolutions because let’s face it, I should resolve to live better every day not just January 1st. Eating healthy and exercise is something I aspire to more often than not and I am always looking for ways to organize and declutter around here. Sure, this time of year I tend to focus more on than other times, but these are not resolutions for me.

However, I have come up with a plan on how to focus in every month on what I hope to accomplish. Instead of a bunch of resolution lists or an overall word of the year, I have a monthly mantra. For January, it is “TAKE CHARGE”. This really covers so many areas and just reminds me to change my attitude to a take charge mindset. If there is something that has been bothering me or that I need to get a handle on- take charge and change it!

So with this “TAKE CHARGE” attitude I am also focusing on a few tweaks I hope to make on the blog. I look forward to sharing another year with all of you and I appreciate you so much! When I started this blog a few years ago I was working full time and had one little baby. Fast forward almost 4 years later and I am no longer working in the corporate world and have a 5 and 2 year old! I have also published almost 600 posts (how is that even possible?) and had so many rewarding opportunities. But the best part remains that this is a creative outlet for me and for that I am so grateful.

With the start of a new year, I thought this would be the perfect time to send out a Reader Survey so I can learn more about YOU and what YOU are here for. It has been several years since I sent one out and it is always really helpful for me. I really appreciate you taking a few minutes to share! It is fast I promise! (and anonymous)