What DIDN'T work for me in 2016

Hey readers, For the past FIVE years now, I've used two super simple reflection questions to help me look back on the old year, and look forward to the new. They are: 1. What worked for me last year? and 2. What didn't? Last week I shared [8 things that really worked for me in 2016] over on the blog. Today, I'm sharing what didn't work. Here's my list, or at least what's suitable to share. (You get that, right?) 1. Messy bookshelves. I used to do just fine with my hodge-podge method of shelving books, but I've apparently reached some kind of tipping point. Now, when I start piling books on the floor, or shoving them onto the shelves where they don't belong, it's not long before I can't find anything. 2. Decaf coffee. I can't handle caffeine anymore, which is SO SAD. So I drink decaf. We have great coffee roasters in my town, but they don't roast much decaf, and this year I have had a consistently hard time finding good beans because they're sold out or just didn't roast enough that week. (Know of any nationwide roasters that ship? Please let me know!) 3. Long, unscheduled phone calls. Because of projects I've been working on, I've been on the phone a lot! (Not something I say often, because #introvert.) I often enjoy these in the moment, but because I never plan for them (and because they drain me like nobody's business) they always throw off my day. Or maybe week. 4. My iPhone being out of storage. Will pointed out that since I filled up my phone, I am constantly shuffling and deleting things so I can download one more podcast, or ebook, or photo. He's right. It's a pain. 5. Rushing things. [I'm a pantser], but there's a difference between improvising and rushing. The former is fun; the latter makes me feel disorganized and sloppy. 6. Eating crap because it's there. Enough said. 7. Skipping exercise because I "don't have time." Because I always feel so much better after I go for a run, or at the very least, walk the dog. It's fun to review a list of what worked for me; it's uncomfortable to look at a list of what I screwed up. But if making these lists means I can plan for more of the good stuff and less of the other for the New Year, it's totally worth it. If you're also in a year-end recap kind of mood these days, check out these recent posts from the blog: 1. [My favorite books of 2016]. 2. [The 10 most popular posts of 2016]. 3. [MY 11 favorite posts of 2016]. And if you haven't signed up for the 2017 Reading Challenge and gotten your free kit, [do that here]. (If you need ideas, [check out what I'm reading here].) Happy reading, everyone, and happy New Year! Anne Do you have a friend who would enjoy getting these emails? Please forward this email on to them. [Modern Mrs Darcy] | 6000 Brownsboro Park Blvd Ste H, Louisville, Kentucky 40207 [Opt Out of MMD Newsletters Only] | [Unsubscribe from all MMD emails]