Change Your Pattern in 2015

What does this hot pad have to do with New Year’s Resolutions? 

New Year’s Eve is the day of reflection and celebration, although most of us would rather just celebrate. But before donning the party hat, I decided to look back on 2014 and find a pattern in my life that needs changing.

Change doesn’t have to be big.

I frequently change crochet patterns—actually I just make them up as I go. In fact, I always change or design my own crochet patterns to fit my mood or purpose. Changing a life pattern (habit) isn’t as easy, but it’s doable when we realize everything doesn’t have to change.

Notice that the petal pattern of all these hot pads is basically the same. This pattern can be changed by using different threads, hooks, or adding or subtracting rounds to the size or change the color.  Yet they’re all done the same way. Not much change is needed after all.

Tweak the elephant before you eat it.

Applying this logic to a habit I should change, like eating too many sweets, I might start with a small change to the pattern by not bringing sweets home from the grocery store.

Pictured above is the hot pad made for everyday use, made in a color that complements my kitchen colors.

A small change can make a dramatic difference. For Christmas, I made this one to resemble a poinsettia, and made it large enough for my candy pot. (Colors and size changed, though the pattern didn’t require much tweaking.)

Here’s one designed for a fall theme. I could also change it to look like a pumpkin, sunflower, or harvest moon. 

Fill in the void.

As I was playing with this hot pad pattern, I saw how my writing pattern needed to be changed. I was doing a lot of things right, but something was missing. Just as changing a crochet pattern requires replacing it with something else, so does personal change. I can’t just lose weight, I have to replace the high-calorie food with healthy choices. All resolutions require more than getting rid of the bad, but also replacing the bad with good.

Share your resolution for accountability.

Well, I'm not giving up sweets, ha ha, but I do have a resolution. I intend to change my writing pattern in 2015. Thanks to all the inspiration I’ve received from my fellow writers like the lovely ladies at stitchesthrutime, I’ll start publishing, starting with a crochet book. My daughter and I will publish ten of the patterns I’ve designed over the years. She will write an anecdote to introduce each pattern, and I’ll provide the instructions.  During 2015, I’ll also publish three historical romance novellas to introduce my long western series. By announcing it here, I am accountable.

That sounds ambitious I know, but all it takes is changing my pattern, tightening a stitch here and there, throwing out time stealers, applying my skills.

Do you plan to make any changes in life patterns for 2015? Whether you do or not, Happy New Year and may every day of 2015 be blessed.