Happy Boxing Day, everyone. I know I’ve been quiet around here lately but, as usual, that means there’s been lots happening in Real Life.

For one, the holidays have taken much of my time, as I’m sure they’ve done with you. For another, I’ve taken on some extra writing gigs to bring in a little extra cash. (I always try to follow my own advice about the importance of making more money!) Plus, I’ve been working on next summer’s World Domination Summit. I’m responsible for the content at the conference this year, and I want to make sure I get it right.

For the past few days, though, I’ve been taking it easy. Last Friday, Kim and I left Portland for central Oregon, where we’ve rented a small house (from a Get Rich Slowly reader, no less). We’ve been relaxing completely while ignoring the rest of the world. (At this very moment, we’re both waking up to coffee on the couch while puttering around on the internet.) Friends are stopping in to visit now and then, but for the most part we’ve been sitting in the hot tub, riding the dogsleds, and playing in the snow.

Just another Christmas Eve dogsled ride with Kimmie
On Christmas Eve, Kim and I went dogsledding on a cold, bright afternoon.

While we’re here, I’m going to conduct my first-ever annual review. Every year, my friend Chris Guillebeau spends a week in reflection, looking at what went right with his year, and determining what might have gone better. He also sets goals for the coming year. I’ve never done anything this formal with my own end-of-year self-reflection, but I like the idea. I’m going to try it to see how I like it.

I’ll share the results of my annual review in a couple of days. For now, though, I’m going back to my books and my coffee. Happy holidays, my friends. May peace be with you.

8 Replies to “Happy Holidays!”

  1. Pauline says:

    Happy holidays! Dogsledding sounds like a lot of fun, are you riding yourself? All the best for your annual review.

  2. Peace to you as well, JD! Glad to have met you this year.

  3. Chinamom2006 says:

    Hi JD,

    Hope you share your thoughts/reflections with us about your year review as well as your thought process in creating new goals for the new year, especially now that you seem to be in a different position (financially and personally) than when you wrote to GRS.

    BTW, I keep checking GRS to see if there is a post about setting goals for the new year, but no luck so far. Anyway, hope to see your post here about year review and setting goals for the new year.:D

    Happy Holidays!

    Chinamom2006

  4. Taryn says:

    What a gorgeous photo! That is a beautiful location for the holidays.

  5. Jennifer says:

    JD, My hubby and I plan to move to Southern, OR in the next few years. I showed him this amazing photo and we both agreed it’s a place we want to visit. You’ll have to let us know more about where you were and your thoughts about the dog-sledding experience.

    Relax and enjoy the holidays.

  6. Virg says:

    JD, is that an actual picture from your trip or one you find online to use? If it’s your photo – oh my gosh! Beautiful!

    • jdroth says:

      Yes, that’s a photo from our trip. My hands were numb with cold as I took this. The temp was about 20 degrees Fahrenheit before wind chill, and the wind was strong. But man, it was fun. And beautiful.

  7. Sandy says:

    Great review of your year. I do the same and will be spending time at the kitchen table today doing just that: going over last year and focusing on what I want to do this year! I have to say you just had me put “dogsledding” on the list. I had no idea you could do that in Oregon and boy howdy I’m going to do it if I do it alone!

    I admire the way you have taken control of your life after a divorce. Having been there I know it’s incredibly difficult to do so and I’ve had varying degrees of success. This year my goal is to meet more new people. Can you speak into how you went about doing just that? What do you do to start? It’s easy to find things to do by yourself – go for a hike, head out shopping, drive over to the coast, but how did you develop new relationships. Thanks in advance….

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