2019 started off slowly with the weather clocking in at a big fat goose egg, “0 degrees.” In fact, it was so cold, it was like
Jonathan and Tana McNiven try their hand at painting at Yellowstone Coffee and Canvas, located in Lockwood, MT.
when Carl Wolf stopped frozen in his tracks when he saw me come visit him a couple weeks ago. I even brought him some bonbons (Yes, I really finally did it) of which I’m sure they kept him toasty warm when he ate them. However, I do have to say that I really enjoyed chatting with Carl in his living room while checking out his backyard view from his big patio windows. You could see his whole backyard, even the peripheral view of the backyard. In fact, I spotted a pheasant outside his window out in the pasture, but then Carl informed me it was a transplant or decoy. No wonder he sees so many animals outside his house because he entices them with food, water and a kind outdoorsy atmosphere.
So 2018 had some benchmarks that have never been reached at YCN so I’m happy about that. However, I also had some challenging low points as well. I feel like I’ve made it through the rough patches of my mid-life crisis to the point that 2019 is looking good for a number of reasons. At least I hope.
I’m not sure what 2019 will bring, but we are going to do the best we can and have fun while we’re doing it. So here’s to the beginning of the year 2019 and the opportunity to begin the new year with new year’s resolutions and the things I’m going to change.
In regards to new year’s resolutions, I turned to the trusty old internet, not CenturyLink’s service. Yes, the internet, the most trusted online source for non-biased, factual and not fake news information.
Okay, Okay, I digressed. I googled new year’s resolutions and here is what came up: “A New Year’s resolution is a tradition, most common in the Western Hemisphere but also found in the Eastern Hemisphere, in which a person resolves to change an undesired trait or behavior, to accomplish a personal goal or otherwise improve their life.”
Well, I’m sure glad my resolutions are to accomplish a personal goal or otherwise improve my life because I can’t seem to understand why anyone would want to make a resolution to be worse.
I’ll let Carl Wolf opine on that thought as I concentrate on positive things to accomplish.
As you know, if you don’t write down a goal, then it’s just a dream. If you are serious about a New Year’s Resolution, then write it down. We have made our own plans for this next year and have written them down and given ourselves measurable checkpoints in order to mark our progress and give us an opportunity to assess how we are doing and if we are running on-schedule or not. Make an action plan showing what action is going to take place in order to achieve the desired goal. Make it logical, reachable and measurable.
Lately, whenever I’m driving (and not talking on my phone surprisingly or reading the newspaper.) I’ve taken time the last couple months to have silence in my vehicle and think about the changes that need to be made as well as what I want to do in the future.
If you know me, you’ll find me with a notepad with a to-do list on it. I have a to-do list for everything whether YCN, family, or personal. I’ve found that if I don’t write it down, I’ll forget about it. So, decide this week what your goals are for this next year. Send us a letter to the editor on any goal that you think we, YCN, should resolve to change (for the better that is).
One of my personal goals this next year was to spend more time doing something I enjoy doing (other than the paper). Here’s a picture of my wife and me spending time painting (for the first time ever in this aspect) at Yellowstone Coffee and Canvas in Lockwood. Thanks to Valerie Gilbertson, my picture actually turned out somewhat as I’m not an artist or painter. If this picture is any indication of the tip of an iceberg, imagine the potential of where we’re headed this next year, especially as a newspaper.
I hope that you will join me this new year and make some new simple but measurable new year’s resolutions to improve your life in 2019!
Until then, see you in the paper!
JDM
