Happy New Year from the Narro family and Backspin Magazine . Just like you , we aren ’ t ready for 2017 . 2017 ?

L i k e most people , we have our resolutions . Jake has been on the Bowflex , I ordered a health book , I ’ ve looked at about 1,000 organizational products , and I have vowed to do better .

Yet , my Christmas tree is still up , I haven ’ t given all the gifts out and I have unfinished projects galore . And the cookies on the counter are disappearing one by one . Yep , it happens here too .

I was watching TV , and I saw a backwards quote from someone saying that since he never gets what he wants , his resolution is to be broke . Interesting take . No disappointment involved in that one .

We have republished Scott Higgs ’ article from last year

stating that you should just “ Get Real .” It ’ s what we all want to tell ourselves , but we all fight to overcome even the “ get real ” part . We want to believe in ourselves and prove that we can make it happen . Scott ’ s article is about understanding reality and also moving toward goals .

That ’ s what I want to do in 2017 – just get real . I am goal driven . I dream and think big things , and I ’ m not giving that up at all . I just don ’ t want to get out of my lane . I readjusted commitments in 2016 , just like I had resolved to do . I left a couple of volunteer positions and picked up another that I wanted . I was ready for something new .

This year , I do want to be more organized , and I do want to get some healthy habits going . And that ’ s what we all do . But the real goal is going to be that I embrace my empty nest . And get the kids the heck out of it !

Here ’ s where it gets real . The kids ’ rooms are a mess . And . They . Don ’ t . Live . Here .

In 2016 , I got used to that . One of them ( who shall remain

nameless ) moved back home for a stint , and we couldn ’ t wait for him to get out . ( So , since you now know that it was one of the boys , it was the older one . But I ’ m not naming names .) He was a mess . He was messier than he had been before , and I thought there was no way .

He invented new places to leave dirty laundry and maneuvered his car every day in order to ensure we couldn ’ t get out without having to raise the dead to find his keys so he could move his truck that was blocking our way to work .

Ugh ! When the kids come home “ and just want to take a shower ,” it looks like they have been there for months after they leave . Clothes ... the cup ( s ) they drank out of ... their friends ’ junk ... and everybody ’ s golf clubs , golf balls and golf gloves . I thought Jake was bad . Nope . How does everybody else ’ s stuff end up here ?

This is what I want to figure out this year . I want to know how to get the kids ’ stuff out of the house . I don ’ t want them to feel unwelcome ; however , this is a strategy a friend suggested . I just want my house not to be a magnet for everybody else ’ s stuff . I invite replies and suggestions . Send them to info @ backspinmag . com . What did you do ?

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