My #3 made a disgusted face to start the conversation! In her most irritated tone possible, "What's a resolution anyway?"
My #1 got very serious. "It's something you want to try to do better the next year. I want to stay fit during the spring and summer since basketball will be over."
I know. I know. Pathetic. It's a first born thing- always on the ball and knows exactly what she wants out of life.
We continued to go around and chime in here and there about things we would like to improve. I started my list by saying, "I'd like to get up early every morning and do 20-30 minutes of my workout video!"
Our #2 looked very doubtful. "Every morning?"
I stayed optimistic and stated, "Yes, I think I can do that."
Something then happened with #3 (I don't even recall what irritated me that time) and I almost lost my temper. But, instead, I took a deep breath and said very calmly, "I'm also not going to yell this year."
#1 called me out without missing a beat! "Mom, that's what you said you were going to do last year!"
"Well, it's a new year and I am going to try." I couldn't believe she called me out.
Try I will. But, I guarantee some days I will fail. And, it will be okay.
However, the thing that is not okay, is setting myself up for failure. It's not realistic for me NEVER to lose my temper. Surely, I can do better, but one should never say never. One should know his/her own limitations.
I mean, let me just give you my full list of resolutions and remember ... do as I say, not as I do! DO NOT MAKE TOO MANY RESOLUTIONS! I did, and I'm already struggling to keep up. Heck, I can't even remember them all!
1. Keep our house looking as it does today (seriously, we just painted the entire house and put it back together. It will last for maybe a week ... tops!).
2. Get up every morning and do 20-30 minutes of exercise (why on earth would I say every day? Let's shoot for four days a week and see how that goes!).
3. Never yell again (we've already covered how ridiculous this one is!).
4. Prepare 2-3 crock-pot meals a week ahead of time so I can just pop them in in the morning (I'm going back to work full-time ... let's get real for a moment ... this will last for maybe a week, if even ... I've never been one to prepare ahead of time!).
5. Do a load of laundry every night and put it away (good intentions are just that. If I would just do a load a night then I'd never be overwhelmed with 3-7 at a time ... it's a shame that I just rewashed a load that was in there for more than a day- ugh, failure already!).
6. Go to be earlier
7. Eat healthier
8. Read more
9. Spend more time reading and talking with my kids at night
10 ... 11 ... 12 ... 13 ... 14 ... 15 ...
Do you see my folly? Do you understand why I need to believe my philosophy that 'it's okay'? I'm obviously NOT going to be able to keep my resolutions. I'm going to mess up. I'm going to fail.
I think I'm going to revise my list!
Here's to your first Friday after the New Year. I hope you haven't messed up your resolution already. If you have, just remember, 'it's okay'! And, you're not the only one.
My advice to myself and to you if needed: Start Small! Pick one thing and gradually add that one thing into your life until it becomes ingrained into what you are already doing. It can take up to 21 days to build/change a habit. And even then, you may relapse.
Start small. Stay strong. Praise yourself for small feats. Don't beat yourself up for minor setbacks.
Happy New Year! A fresh start. A grand opportunity. A chance to be the best you possible- remember, though, you're already amazing just the way you are!
The new year has begun.
Resolutions have been made & some already broken.
Change is hard!
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