I’m really excited to be linking up with Emily Freeman’s What We Learned series today! I have read and really enjoyed her books and her blog, and I’ve always loved that she wrote a monthly post with a list of things she learned that month. It’s a quarterly series now, so today is the day for What We Learned in Fall 2016. Here’s my list of 5 things I learned this fall.

1. I think I will like blogging…if I can learn discipline and consistency. It’s fun to think of an idea for a post, put it into words, design a graphic, and then see my own words on the Internet. I haven’t been as consistent as I should be…I do enjoy blogging, but sometimes I enjoy things (like reading) more! 😉 This is definitely an area I want to learn to be more disciplined in.
2. I miss being in school! That probably sounds strange, but my college years were really fun. I studied from home, and I earned almost all of my credits through exams like the CLEP and DSST. I loved always being able to learn new subjects, studying on my own, and only having to take a test instead of sitting through classes and writing papers. It gave me a lot of freedom to set my own schedule and experience a lot of life outside of a traditional school setting. Now that I have two jobs, I miss being able to set my own schedule and “work from home.”
3. The election results aren’t as important as I think they are. Honestly, I wouldn’t have been happy either way, but this was the first year I really put effort into getting a candidate elected in the primary, and it was disappointing that it didn’t work out. Then I was left with two options that I seriously disliked. I don’t know how the next four years are going to go for our country, but I know that God has used this election season to teach me to rely on Him more and on my actions, votes, and favorite candidates less. That’s a lesson I’ll always need to learn, over and over throughout my life, no matter who the President is. I’ve also started to realize more and more how important it is to listen to and truly care about people whose opinions are different than mine. Now that I don’t have a political party or favorite presidential candidate, it’s harder for me to look at life as my side against theirs. I’m still not the best at listening and being understanding, but I think this fall has been a turning point in my life.
4. A little Christmas before Thanksgiving can be a good thing. I’ve been listening to Christmas music and watching Hallmark Christmas movies for the last few weeks. Some people may think that’s too soon, but I’ve decided that life is short, and if celebrating Christmas brings me joy, I’m going to do it!
5. It’s way too easy to buy books on Kindle. I’ve mostly stuck with paperback books in the past, and I still usually prefer to hold an actual book in my hands. But sometimes it’s really convenient to find a book, buy it, and be able to read it instantly, without having to go to the store or wait for it to be shipped. Plus, I’ve been getting emails every day with Kindle deals, so most of the books I buy are between $0.99 and $2.99, sometimes a little more if I really like the author, and I’ve found myself buying more this fall than I used to. My general rule of thumb is that I don’t buy a book on Kindle if it’s cheaper to buy the paperback used on Amazon. Ultimately, it’s nice that having books on Kindle makes it easier for me to read more. Anything that lets me read more is a good thing in my book! 😉

So there you have it…5 things I’ve learned this fall. It’s been a good season, and I’m looking forward to Christmas and the winter season coming up.

What have you learned this fall?