I’m a worrier. If there is anything happening, I have imagined at least a dozen potential negative outcomes for that situation. It’s a curse and a blessing–after all, my overactive imagination is what inspires my stories and enriches my life, but the worries can take over at times.

The main character in my debut, Thyme, is also a worrier. She worries about her brother, and his painful cancer treatments that brought their family to NYC. She worries that their creepy neighbor in their new apartment building has it out for them. She worries that her best friend back home will forget her forever. But Thyme also takes action to feel better, namely by saving time in a jar–time earned for doing chores–time that might be able to solve all of her problems, if she can save enough.

For 2016, I’m taking inspiration from Thyme and starting my own jar. I’m not earning time, but rather acknowledging it. I’m starting an achievement jar, a place to capture all of those little moments of joy in 2016. When the worries set in, I’ll revisit those moments paper by paper and remind myself of what is possible. I’m including the doodle I wrote on the front of the jar below in both black and white and color, in case you’d like to print one out to make your own jar. 🙂

Here’s to staying focused on the good stuff in 2016!