Start the Year off Right!

As we change the year on our calendars, many of us will be setting New Year's resolutions or goals for how we will do something better in the new year. Some of us will set goals centered on health and fitness, while others will set goals around school, career, family, or home maintenance. In addition, avid scrapbookers may be setting scrappy goals such as creating a certain number of layouts over the coming year or using up their stash. Perhaps your goals include learning new techniques or making a design team.

In your attempt to start the year off right, you will want to make progress on both your life goals and your scrappy goals. With this in mind, here is my challenge to you: start working on one of more of your New Year's resolutions and scrap about it. If possible, do this on New Year's Day. If not, do it as soon as possible afterwards.

My husband and I both enjoy running and like the health benefits that come with exercising on a regular basis. However, as we get older and busier, it is difficult to find time and motivation to run. As a result, we resolved to sign up for more community races. The fear of the embarrassment that goes with not running well in front of our friends and neighbors motivates us to train. In addition, we decided to get the whole family running these races together. Last year, on New Year's Day, our whole family ran in a local 5K race. 

When we got home, I scrapped about the race. I scrapped and scrapped. My first page was for the family album to start the New Year - using winter-themed product for the season and tinsel for the New Year theme.

I also scrapped a page for each child. For my older son, I used running-themed product and a picture showing him with his award. Not only did he get a medal for placing in his age group, they gave him chocolate.

For my younger son, it was the first time he ran this distance, so his page was about finishing the race without walking.

Obviously we enjoyed this day and we felt good about starting our year off right, so we will be signing up for this race again next year and for many years to come. Hopefully, this year's race will be another positive experience and I will be able to create a layout about it to start my 2013 album.

As we start our New Year, I challenge you to scrap about your New Year's resolutions and share the layouts here on Scrapjazz. For more details on my layouts, please check my Scrapjazz gallery. Happy New Year!