New Year, Fresh Start
Have you made your New Year’s Resolutions yet? I bet you’ve been asked that a few times already. I think as much as we fight it, we all think about the changes we want to make in the New Year. It’s a “fresh start!” The perfect time to spend less money, be more organized, and lose those extra pounds you’ve been meaning to lose. But can we just take a break from the same old resolutions we make every year? How about making this year about YOU.
When I thought about what I wanted to focus on in the New Year, I went through all those things I listed above. And those are not bad resolutions by any means! But I feel like I make them every year. I used to make long lists every year, so I wanted something different this year.
Since becoming a mom, it’s never about me anymore. My son comes first – and I think that’s the same for a lot of moms. So much so that when asked what I wanted for Christmas, I asked for underwear. UNDERWEAR! Because I have such a hard time spending money on myself now. So I came up with one resolution: Invest in myself. Invest a little more time, even money – for example, new underwear. Or other more exciting things!
Another common resolution is to lose weight. Well that one didn’t really work for me since I am 4.5 months pregnant and only going up from here for the next little while. But I was already thinking about what my body will look like after baby # 2. I’ve never been one to focus too much on the number on the scale, but I still like to feel good about the way I look! It’s completely okay to make a resolution to lose weight – but I think we need to change the reason WHY we want to lose weight. Make that reason to get healthier, to feel good, to have more energy, to keep up with your kids – not just to fit into that size you think you should be.
Another great idea I heard was “naming your year.” A word you that can help guide your goals over the year. After thinking long and hard, I settled for “flexibility.” This is a year of changes for our family (as I mentioned, baby # 2), and I think we will all need to learn to be a little more flexible (and forgiving) with ourselves. As moms we tend to set high expectations for ourselves, and I think it’s so important to give ourselves a break sometimes.
Lastly, I chose “be in the present” as my final resolution. I know what you’re thinking – that I am spending too much time on my phone. But I am not too much into electronics – often forgetting where my phone is during the day. I tend to worry about the future a lot. My husband says to me all the time, “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” So that’s what I’m going to try and work on this year.
If you are looking to get healthier, here are some great resources – we have a pinterest board for some great new years idea to start fresh or focus on you.
So here is the big question: have you made your New Year’s Resolutions? Have you ever “named your year?” Let us know what worked or didn’t work in the comments below, what you’re hoping to focus on this year!
