Keep Up THEN Catch Up

Do you have photo organizing resolutions for 2020 or the 2020's?

I resolved to keep up to date with my photos. When I moved to digital photography over a decade ago, I fell behind keeping them organized and into albums. The more I fell behind, the more I procrastinated to catch up. It becomes overwhelming to see the number of photos grow and grow.

Like the saying goes, it's easier to keep up than to catch up. Many people use this saying when referring to housework, tasks or emails but it's also perfect for photo organization.

It's what I used to teach in my scrapbooking classes in the 2000's:

Keep up with the current photos 

and THEN catch up with older ones.

Although I am not up to date with my photos from the 2010's, I'm starting fresh in the 2020's. I'm focusing on keeping up and then I'll catch up.

Here are some tips for keeping up:

• Rate or rank the best photos (eg. on iPhone click the heart icon)
• Separate very top photos from the rest by creating a folder or album (top 1%)
• Delete blurry, unflattering and duplicate photos
• Choose a time and/or place (and add it to your calendar or to do list):
• daily, weekly or monthly (as often as possible is best)
• at your computer, on your phone
• while travelling, waiting in line or for an appointment
• with morning coffee or evening drink
• replace a meaningless task with photo organizing. For example if you check social media or the news more often than you would like, open your photos application instead.
• If your program allows, add keywords or tags (like Family, Friends, Mexico, Birthday, etc.)
• Crop and/or edit your best photos if needed
• Share on social media or photo sharing site like Flickr, Picasa, Google, Amazon
• Print photos you want to enlarge and frame or include in photo albums
• Import photos into photobook

I'll be going into more detail on keeping up and catching up tips and workflow ideas in the future.

Bookmark the landing page on Revive55 Project for Keep Up Then Catch Up to check back for updates.

Where Are Your Photos?

Photos can play an important role in helping us remember special and everyday moments.

When I used to teach photo album-making classes as a Creative Memories Consultant, one of my first questions was "where are your photos?". The answers I received before digital photos were a lot simpler than they are today.

I would love to know where your photos are. If you want to share, please copy and paste the following questions and send me your answers at suzanne@revive55project.com.

In case you're interested, I'll include my answers at the bottom of this post in case you want to see them before or after you answer yourself.

1. Where are your physical photos?
a) In photo albums
b) Organized in boxes, folders
c) Disorganized in boxes, folders
d) Other: ___________________

2. Are you happy with the state of your physical photos?
a) Yes
b) No
c) No but it’s not a priority so I’m okay with it.

3. Where are your original digital photos (not back up photos)?
a) In an organization program like Photoshop Organizer, Lightroom, Apple Photos, Picasa, etc.
b) In dated folders on my computer
c) On my phone
d) On an external hard drive, USB/flash drives, SD cards
e) In the cloud
f) Other: ______________________

4. Are you happy with the state of your digital photos?
a) Yes
b) No
c) No but it’s not a priority so I’m okay with it.

5. Do you delete or throw away photos?
a) Yes - blurry and unflattering ones
b) Yes - all except the very best
c) Yes - somewhere in between
d) No

6. Can you tell the difference between your best photos and the clutter?
a) Yes - I only keep the best
b) Yes - I rank, heart or star the best ones
c) Yes - I have the best ones in separate folders or albums
d) No - the best are mixed in with the rest

7. How many photos do you have?
a) On your phone: _________
b) On your computer: __________
c) On external drives (originals not backed up): ___________
d) In cloud (originals not backed up): __________
e) I don’t know
f) How can I tell?
g) The number doesn’t matter to me

8. Do you feel like you can easily find a photo from a specific event when you want to?
a) Yes in seconds/minutes (in an album or computer)
b) Yes in under an hour (in an album or computer)
c) Sometimes
d) I wouldn’t know where to start to look
e) Other: ___________________

9. Could you recover your photo collection in case of:
a) House damage (fire, water, damage, etc.)
       i) Yes photos are on the cloud/online
       ii) Yes negatives, hard drive, files are stored elsewhere
       iii) No
b) Computer crashes and is not fixable
       i) Yes photos are copied on cloud, web, hard drive, USB or SD cards
       ii) Yes photos are also on phone
       iii) Yes lower quality copies are on Facebook
       iv) No
c) Phone or tablet is lost or broken
       i) Yes photos are backed up elsewhere
       ii) No

10. What do you love most about your photo organization?
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________


11. What do you hope to improve about your photo organization?
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________

12. Who is in charge of your photos?
a) You
b) You and your partner share the same collection
c) You and your partner have separate collections

Although my digital photos are sort of organized, I feel that my system needs improving and be more time efficient. I feel that there is a better way to organize, curate and maintain our photos in the digital age.

Ten years ago, I posted this on social media:

I love my enthusiasm and hope that I would declutter our photos. For the past ten years, I have been feeling the weight as more and more photos were added to our collection.

Don't get me wrong. I looooove our photos and videos. I am very happy I have them.

For years, I kept thinking that my focus should be on decluttering. I spent hours deleting thousands of photos but then thousands more were added and the original number of photos I tried to decrease is surpassed again. I would get discouraged and at times give up trying.

As I see that message from 10 years ago, I recognize that I don't want to feel this way for the next 10 years. I also recognize that I should focus my time on the photos I love (a joy) not on the photos I don't want (a chore).

I think that the way of the past isn't the way of the future.

At the moment, I feel like I need to let go of my past collection. I don't want to spend the time required to delete unnecessary photos. I have used PhotoSweeper to find duplicates but even that application is time consuming to ensure I keep the edited version or the better version of the original or HDR one.

I want to let go of past mistakes and create a new way of capturing memories with photos. That's what I will focus my time on.

I would love to get feedback on where your photos are to see if most people are happy with the way things are or are looking for a better way like I am.

Thank you for reading and your feedback.

Suzanne

Here are my answers:

1. My physical photos are in photo albums and mostly organized in photo boxes.
2. I'm fairly happy with the state of my physical photos. I have a couple of years worth of printed photos that still need to be added to photo albums.
3. My digital photos are in multiple organization programs, in dated folders on my computer, on my phone, on an external hard drive, USB drives and in the cloud. Sounds overwhelming!
4. I'm not completely happy with the state of my digital photos.
5. I have deleted thousands of photos but keep most.
6. I try to rank or heart my best photos but there are lots that are not.
7. On my phone I have 46455 photos/videos (same as iCloud and Apple photos that are linked).
   In Photoshop 69929 (pre-May 2014) and in Lightroom 61908.
8. I can easily find a photo if I have an idea of the date or it's organized in a themed folder eg. a place, a person or activity.
9. My negatives and photo albums are in my house (I have had negatives elsewhere at times but they're back here). I have scanned a lot of my childhood physical photos but there are still tons that I would lose. My computer and back up drive are in our house so if something happened to them physically, I would only have icloud, Flickr and Lightroom app photos. 
10. I love that my photos are organized by theme (places, people, activities, etc.); that a lot of photos are ranked or marked with a heart; and that they are backed up.
11. I hope to better protect in case of disaster; I hope to find a less time consuming way to organize and curate my collection and I hope to be prepared for change in technology. For example, what happens to my Photoshop collection organization (with rankings, albums, tags, etc.) when the application is no longer compatible with newer computers. I think it's no longer available for purchase and possibly no longer supported. 
12. My husband and I share a collection and I have a separate collection.

Memorable Songs Playlist

What's your time machine?

Is it Springsteen or Teenage Dream?

What's your takes you back?

Your first falling in love soundtrack

(A Song for Everything by Maren Morris)

As I was making a playlist of my favourite songs from 2019 that included A Song for Everything by Maren Morris, I was struck by the number of them that had lyrics about memories. Maybe every year it's like that, but I was super aware this year with my Revive55 Project.

Listening to the songs and hearing these lyrics, made me think of making a memories playlist. It's like the memorable photos folder I wrote about a couple of months ago. You can read that post by clicking here.

The new memories playlist includes songs that remind me of a special memory, a person, a place or event.

It's an extension to the playlist I mentioned in my post "Playlist of my Life". In that post, I was talking about my childhood and university days. I had made a playlist of my favourite childhood songs and I could remember where I was when I used to listen to them.

Taking inspiration from another song from my 2019 playlist, I decided to go one step further. What about moments throughout our life?

I'm a record collection, a dedicated section

I'm a memory of everything you've ever seen and ever done

(Record Collection by Kaiser Chiefs)

Our wedding song is an easy one to remember, but with music being a major part of my life, there are countless more.

For example, whenever I hear a song from Lauryn Hill's album "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill", I am walking on the beach in Jamaica. When we were there in 2000, that album played over and over at our resort. Even twenty years later, the song still takes me back.

In 2003 when Toronto was in a SARS crisis (and events were being cancelled) Coldplay performed at the Molson Amphitheatre. At the end of Clocks, the lyrics were changed to:

Home where I wanted to go

I went home home where I wanted to go

People told us to cancel the show

but how could

yes how could they know

that the one place

that we love to go

is to play-ay-ay in

To-ron-to

That song always reminds me of that night and attending my first Coldplay concert with my sister.

Hearing Katy Perry's Firework takes me back to our daughter's Grade 6 Graduation performance when the whole graduation class sang and performed a choreographed dance.

Whenever I am reminded of a song that is attached to a special memory, I'll add it to my memories playlist.

Another example is to be conscious of a song or piece of music that is playing when you experience a special moment. It's a great time to pause and be in the moment. Two years ago, I took a video when I was struck by the song that was playing while we were having lunch outside at Alpina Hütte in St. Moritz.


We had seen Rodriguez in concert a few years before after seeing the Sugarman documentary. Hearing that song surprised me because it's not a song I would expect to hear anywhere in Canada. Rodriguez was more popular in Euope and Africa than he was in North America.

Research has shown that music, memories and emotion are stored in the same part of the brain and that musical memories are stored in the last part of the brain to atrophy in Alzheimer's patients.

Connecting songs to moments can help us remember them. By making a new playlist (or choosing a song) to listen to while watching a sunset or sitting by a fire or going on a trip, we can be reminded of that moment when we hear the songs in the future.

By making an album of memorable songs, we can keep those memories alive. I don't hear Lauryn Hill or Rodriguez played much anymore, so adding it to a playlist that I will listen to will keep taking me back to those moments in time.

Dream of Future Memories

I began my Revive55 Project to preserve my past memories, to remember the stories, to recognize what was meaningful and to declutter what wasn't.

I considered "taking care of the past" as a project. After the project, I planned to focus on present and future memories which would be a process.

Catching up is a project. 

Keeping up is a process.

With the new year however, I feel that it's a good time to look forward. What do I want my days, months and years to be like?

The New Year is a popular time for resolutions so why not add memories-themed ones to the list?

Dream of Future Memories

There are three aspects to memories. We want to preserve our past memories, we want to enjoy our present moments and we want to dream of our future experiences.

With the start of a new year and a new decade, it's a good time to dream of the future and start making plans to act on those dreams. By writing down our hopes and dreams, we can create more memorable moments.

Choose one or more of the following challenges:

55 Second Challenge

1. Make a Future Memories list. What experiences do you hope to have in the future?
2.  Keep it handy and add to it whenever you think: 
• "I wish I ..." 
• "I hope to ... " 
• "Some day I want to ..."
• "I love it when..." 
• "I loved it when..."
3. Write your ideas in a journal or enter it in an app or document.
4. Bonus: Review it on a regular basis and take steps to make things happen.

55 Minute Challenge

1. Start a Day Zero Project: 
• Write a list of 101 Things you want to do in 1001 Days
• or 52 things for 52 weeks or 12 things for 12 months
2. Follow the Day Zero Project website as is or create it "your way" like I did it "my way".
3. Write your ideas in a journal or planner or enter it in an app or document.
4. Bonus: Review it on a regular basis and take steps to make things happen

Day Zero...My Way

When I first started the Day Zero Project, I made a "safe" list of 101 things I thought I could accomplish. By the time I finished my list, I wasn't too excited. I saw things that I would do because they were on a list. What if I didn't want to do them anymore on day 900? Would I force myself to do something just because it was on a list? How would I feel if I failed to complete the 101?

That's when I decided to change the rules and do the project "my way".

I started the project with two lists. The first list is numbered from 1 to 101 and is blank. The other list is all kinds of things I would love to do whether they were realistic or not. It consisted of hundreds of things: places I dreamed of visiting, events I wanted to attend, people I wanted to meet, bands I wanted to see, activities I wanted to do, etc.

As I did something on the list, I added it to the numbered list. I continued until I got to 101. If something was on a list that I didn't want to do anymore, I removed it. If something came up that wasn't on the list but it would have been easy to not do or I couldn't even have dreamed of, I still added it to the numbered list.

Read the full blog post on how I made the project my way ten years ago by clicking this link: https://dayzeromyway.blogspot.com/2010/03/day-zero-projectmy-way.html

5.5 Hours Challenge

1. Create a Vision Board or Revive55 "Time Travel Board".
2. Find images or sayings of moments you have loved in the past...moments that you are amazed have happened.
3. Find images or sayings to represent future moments that will be worth remembering.
4. Paste them on a poster board.

When I have attended a vision board workshop, the instructions were to go through magazines and cut out anything that "speaks to you", that you love or that inspires you. I like to keep my vision board more specific. I search out what I want to include and cut out or screen capture things as I come across them.

Choose a size you're comfortable with. If you want to keep it simple and focused, choose a smaller one. I have done smaller ones before and decided to expand to a larger one. I chose a fold-out poster board. I have different themes on each surface.

I used removable tape on it so that as things changed, I could edit it which I have done a few times.

Researching more about vision boards to broaden the tips I could give, I am seeing many ways that I could improve mine. To start with, I read the following in a post about making vision boards more powerful:  "Keep it neat. Avoid creating a cluttered or chaotic board - you don’t want to attract chaos into your life."

Well, you really can't say that my vision board is neat.

I still love this one so may "retire" it rather than edit it any more.

For 2020 I will start a new one. I will write a separate post with tips and ideas in more detail.

Time Travel Board

I am calling the Revive55 Memories-themed board a Time Travel Board. Travel back in time to special memories and look forward to creating more memories.

I have been thinking about this since I started the Revive55 Project. The first part of the Memories Board includes experiences you dream of and would create memorable moments. The second part of the Memories Board includes past experiences that are meaningful and proof that amazing things can happen. If you ever doubt that things won't happen, you just have to look at your past memories to believe that lots can happen to make your dreams happen.

It's the end of a decade

Seems to me now

That the dreams we had before

Are all dead, nothing more

Than confetti on the floor

It's the end of a decade

In another ten years time

Who can say what we'll find

What lies waiting down the line

In the end of eighty-nine

(Happy New Year

by Abba)

As much as I love the holidays, I love the last few days before the end of the year. I love to reflect on the year that is ending and look forward to the year to come.

This year is extra special because it's also the end of a decade which reminds me of my favourite New Year's song I listen to every year. If you could travel back in time to 2009, what would "2009-you" be amazed to know happened in the 2010's?

Imagine it's the end of of 2029, what do you hope your life will be like then? If you like lists or resolutions, write down your hopes and dreams and store them somewhere special.

I wrote my dreams in this journal for the first time in January 1996.

Life is the music
that dances through our days,
our nights and our years.

It's interesting to see what I dreamed of then, to see the ones that happened and also how I feel about those that didn't. Am I disappointed? Do I still hope they happen? Using a journal also allows for future edits or additions.

Since 2005, I have made a playlist of my favourite songs every year. At the end of 2009, I made a list of my favourite songs of the decade (2000's). I am continuing that tradition by creating a playlist of my favourite songs of 2019 and the 2010's. If books or movies are more your thing, would you enjoy making a yearly list of your favourites?

I spent some time this week looking back at my photos from 2019. If you had asked me to tell you what I did all year, I wouldn't have thought of some amazing moments. Looking back at the photos reminded me of experiences I loved and want to remember.

What were your favourite moments of 2019? What experiences do you want to remember?

Some experiences are unforgettable. I won't forget breaking my arm, going on vacation, attending the Raptors NBA Championship parade or launching my Revive55 Project. What are some smaller moments that are worth remembering but could be forgotten?

I love the colours of the Caribbean Sea.

This is one of my favourite photos of the year:

Can you guess where it is? Some of you can but if I had seen this photo years ago, I wouldn't have guessed.

This is not a perfect photo, but it's a moment when I am reminded that I can see beautiful Lake Ontario colours a short drive from home. I didn't have much time to admire it on this fall day. I was with friends and we were going for a quick dinner by the beach before a movie. I want to remember this moment as a reminder to go next summer and truly enjoy Lake Ontario and the beach we have. I'm adding that to my New Years Resolutions.

Celebrate the past

Create a time capsule or best of lists of what 2019 or the 2010's were like for you.

Ideas include:

1. Favourite Photos and Videos
2. Stories or things that happened to you
3. Mementos or Purchases
4. Accomplishments or Celebrations
5. People you spent time with, you met or your favourite celebrities
6. Outings or Activities
7. Places like a country, city or place in your neighbourhood or in your house

If this seems overwhelming, you can just spend a bit some time remembering your favourite moments.

Did you start a Memories timeline? Take a few moments to add 2019 or 2010's events on it.

By looking at what you love from your past, you get clues of what you will love in the future.

Dream for your future

What kind of photos and videos do you love? What kind of outings and activities do you most enjoy?

How can you plan to create more moments that you'll love just as much in 2020?

By looking back at 2009, I was reminded that I was about to go to the Olympics in Vancouver for the Opening Ceremony and Men's Moguls - our first Olympic gold win on home soil. That trip is one of my highlights of the decade. Before we had children, we used to go on a yearly ski trip to Whistler. I have wanted to go back especially since they co-hosted the 2010 Olympics. As an Olympic host city, it would be even more special.

Since starting this post and doing my own reflection, I have booked a trip to return to Vancouver on the 10th anniversary of the Opening Ceremony and then to go to Whistler where I will see the Olympic rings and ski the Olympic downhill run.

If I am super lucky, one of the Olympic cauldrons will be lit while I'm there.

Sometimes, we need to reflect and to plan in order for our hopes and dreams to happen.

Create a Memories Timeline

Some dates are easily remembered like:

• birthdays and anniversaries
• deaths of loved ones
• Mother's and Father's Day
• Valentine's Day
• Religious holidays

There are other days that are also worth remembering and could bring happiness to our lives by reminiscing and reliving these moments.

Revive55 Challenge:

1. Create a memories timeline. You can do this in a spreadsheet or document. 
2. Find dates to add to your timeline. For example (besides the obvious ones), find: 
• dated photos - especially the ones you added in your memories folders from Revive55 Challenge #1 and #5
• your mortgage for the date you bought your house
• ticket stubs for a sports event or concert
• Google for dates like: 
• Jays first World Series win October 24, 1992
• Raptors NBA Championship June 13, 2019 
• Mike Weir Masters win - April 13, 2003
• your city or town's birthday (Toronto - March 6, 1834)
• Live-Aid - July 13, 1985
• date your favourite album or movie was released
• work dates on your résumé
• graduation 
• passport stamps
• Timehop app and Facebook Memories remind us of what we posted on social media on certain dates.
3. Add events to your calendar or Day One-type app to be reminded of them on anniversaries.
4. Keep the timeline handy to add more events as you are reminded of them. 

Result:

As you add more events, you'll end up with a list of wonderful memories that you can remember and celebrate.

As a New Year's resolution last year, my husband and I started a timeline of our lives that included dates for our significant life events. This is a sample of a long document. I have taken out some of the personal identifying details but it looks like this. The colour codes refer to work, home and travel.

As I started the Revive55 Project and was going through my childhood mementos, I wanted to add dates that were on programmes, photos and certificates of minor events.

I found that minor events were cluttering up the prettier table so I decided to make a spreadsheet that would hold more information. Here's a sample that includes major and minor memories:

Eventually "fun memories" will be divided into concert/music memories, sports events, family and friends memories.

For example, on the anniversary of the day we went on a special trip we can celebrate by enjoying the photos and videos we took; by making a meal or going to a restaurant that reminds us of that trip; documenting the stories or travelling back to the location.

We can celebrate the anniversary of a special concert by listening to a playlist we make that duplicates the setlist of the concert or watching videos of the band playing live. I love the setlist.fm website that posts setlists to most concerts I have attended.

Do They Know It's Christmas was recorded on November 25th 1984. In 2009, I wrote this blog post about listening to that song every November 25th.

I am posting this specific challenge today because it is Friday the 13th. December 13th may not be significant to most of you. I normally remember it as my friend's birthday. This year however, I am remembering it differently because it reminded me of December 13th 1996 which was also a Friday.

I was pregnant with two due dates: December 9th and 12th. Throughout the pregnancy, I thought it would be cool to have a 12/12 birthday boy. With my due date past, 23 years ago, my husband and I went to see The English Patient at Varsity Theatre on Friday the 13th. We sat in the last row close to the exit door in case I went into labour. Luckily I didn't.

I am being reminded of the time before we were parents. I got my pregnancy journal out and reminisced about the days when it used to be just the two of us. Rewatching The English Patient, as much as I enjoyed it at the time, isn't something that will add happiness to my life today, but I watched some clips on YouTube that I enjoyed.

We had plans to go see a movie at the Varsity Theatre tonight, but with a tickle in my throat, that's not meant to be. I still enjoyed reminiscing, writing this post and coming up with the term "Memories Timeline".

By travelling back in time to meaningful memories, we can look forward to future moments that will be worth remembering by reminiscing, reliving or creating new memories.

In a future Revive55 Challenge, we will make future plans to create new memories inspired by our past experiences.

Memorable Traditions

Christmas is considered a magical time of year. One of the reasons is because of our traditions  associated with the holiday.

Blue Mountain Christmas Lights

Are you taking the time to enjoy the holidays or are you on auto-pilot and putting decorations out or baking just because it's what you have always done.

Do you sometimes find yourself in January with the disappointment that the holidays got away from you and you didn't enjoy them as much as you could have? I certainly have some years.

By being mindful and taking the time to reflect and plan, we can ensure that this Christmas is a memorable one.

What are your favourite holiday traditions? Who do you love to spend time with?

Take a moment to reflect on your favourite Christmas memories.

When you take your Christmas decorations out, what are your favourites that bring a smile to your face when you see them? Do you have decorations that you would rather donate than keep? Sometimes when we have less, we appreciate our favourites more.

What is your favourite ornament? Do you put it in a prominent place on your Christmas tree?

Favourite Ornaments

Some people love the tradition of preparing and enjoying special meals and treats. Do you like the tradition of making and enjoying the same foods year after year? This year, consider getting a new recipe from a Christmas-themed magazine or from a friend.

If you love Christmas music or movies, are they the same every year or do you add new ones?

Introducing new favourites to our traditional favourites can make this Christmas more memorable.

There are many Christmas events in the GTA. Do you prefer to return to the same event like the Distillary Christmas Market or the Nutcracker every year? Or do you like to experience new events?

Most towns and cities have special Christmas events like:

• Toronto Christmas Market - Distillery District
• A Nutcracker Christmas At The Castle - Casa Loma
• Evergreen's Winter Village - Evergreen Brick Works
• Toronto Aurora Winter Festival - Ontario Place
• Holiday Fair in the Square - Nathan Phillips Square
• Terra Lumina at the Toronto Zoo

• Christmas Glow at Toronto Congress Centre in Etobicoke
• Winter Festival of Lights - Niagara Falls
• Blumination Dream Trail at Blue Mountain
• Santafest at Santa's Village in Bracebridge
• Gift of Lights - Bingemans in Kitchener
• Festival of Lights - Kapuskasing (my hometown)
• Alight at Night Festival - Upper Canada Village in Morrisburg
• Winterfest - Canada's Wonderland

Dream Trail at Blue Mountain

These are just a few ideas. What is happening in your city or town? 

Sometimes even finding a beautifully lit street is worth the drive or walk in the evening. Inglewood Drive in Toronto is lined with giant-sized inflatable Santas every year.

Santas on Inglewood Drive

When we recognize what we love, we can create more of these types of memories. 

For those who love markets, return to a favourite or experience a new one. If you love music, find new Christmas songs to love.

What brings a smile to your face during the holidays?

• The scent of our Christmas tree brings a smile to my face every time I enter the house or room. To have that feeling before we get our tree, I purchased a pine and balsam scented candle.
• I love tourtière and shortbread at Christmas time. I used to make peppermint patties but haven't in years. It may be time to revive this tradition or find a new recipe. I just re-read this blog post from 2011 where I wrote about my favourite Christmas foods and traditions. It's definitely a good reminder to keep the traditions I love.
• Is there a Christmas movie you haven't seen that can be added to your Christmas tradition? I had never seen Elf until I visited my brother-in-law in DC for Thanksgiving less than 10 years ago. It is now one of my favourites. Click here for a list of Christmas movies for inspiration.
• What are your favourite Christmas songs? Did you have a favourite album growing up? Create a playlist of your favourite songs.

Imagine that it's January 1st. What do you hope to have experienced over the holidays?

Revive55 Challenge:

• Make a list and check it twice ;-)
• Ask friends and family or Google for new ideas
• Add events in your calendar
• Enjoy the holidays
• Take photos and videos
• Journal memorable stories
• Share the photos, videos and stories!!

It's the last Christmas of the decade, make it a special one!!


*********************************************************************************

I wrote this post yesterday knowing I would be out most of today at a Positivi-Tea event with Brenda Jasmin and Tea with Tracie.

If you're in the Oakville area, I highly recommend their events. One of my friends at the event also told me that the Burlington Lakeside Festival of Lights is beautiful!

I want to share my favourite takeaways from this event as an addition to my post.

The theme of the event was "Infusing Positivity Into Your Holiday".

We discussed many aspects of the holiday season and what is meaningful to each one of us. Just like I mentioned to find the traditions that are meaningful to us, Brenda asked us to list activities that were sources of depletion or repletion. It wasn't only what do we love or not love, but what drains or adds energy to our holiday.

My favourite takeaway from the event is:

Look for the Good.

Instead of being stressed and noticing what is missing or not perfect, look for what you love and what you did accomplish.

Brenda shared this in the context of being an optimalist rather than a perfectionist. An optimalist is a healthy high-functioning perfectionist. An optimalist still has high standards but the vision is closer to reality. You look in the direction of where you're going rather than the perfect destination.

I love that.

I will also add that instead of thriving for the "perfect" Christmas or holiday season; prioritize and focus on what matters most to you.