Ugh, resolutions.
It's January 7. The New Year has started, the holiday grace period has ended, and it's time for me to get with the program.
Of course, I hate making resolutions. Because I inevitably fall short, and I hate that feeling of falling short. I can make super easy resolutions (this year I'm going to hang up my coat! thanks PIWTPITT) and feel like I've made no effort to improve myself, and I hate feeling like I feel short on the making of the goal to begin with. Does that make sense? It's a no win situation.
I can make small, wussy resolutions, and succeed (feeling guilty now) or I can make big, life improving resolutions, and fall short (feeling guilty later).
So either way, I make myself feel guilty. It's the question of would I rather feel that guilt now, or in a few months.
Ugh.
Now, I need to point out, does anyone else in the world really care? Are you charting my progress and collecting data and developing improvement plans for me? Did you track how many days I actually showered last year v. how many days I said I would shower and show me my achievement gap?
(Teachers are totally getting that reference to Smart Goals and shaking their heads right now).
Anyway, the answer is no one. No one cares but me. (And I suppose, in the case of showering, the people around me, but hey, if it bothered them that much, they could help by giving me more opportunities).
So I'm not really making resolutions. I'm not resolving to make any major changes. As my blogging friend Kathy pointed out, moms are in a constant state of readjusting our lives as the lives of the children we are responsible for are changing. Madison is slowly dropping her nap, and I'm having to readjust how our day goes without that child free time for me. Reagan isn't a great napper to begin with, and she's shaping up to be an adorably trying toddler. I will have plenty on my plate this year adjusting to the girls that deciding to make a change just seems...unnecessary.
But having said that, setting some long term goals for myself, goals that I have time to work on.
1) Grow as a mom.
Get frustrated less. Set more limits. Play freely with the girls more often. Help them develop into intelligent, well mannered little girls, who are loving and independent.
2) Grow as a homemaker.
This sounds silly and old fashioned. But I would like to find a way to maintain a clean house. I want to find an organizational system I can stick to. I want to keep up with my meal planning, my couponing, and improve these systems. Getting organized is a constant goal for me.
3) Grow as an individual.
Make myself a priority. Maybe not always the top priority, but someone who is on my own radar. Make sure I'm not the pre-ball Cinderella in my home. Take time for myself without feeling guilty, and invest in myself.
4) Grow as a writer.
That means grow in all ways. Continue
to develop my voice. Continue to encourage my confidence. Take the year
to actually put together a proposal for an idea that's been mulling in
my head for a few months now. Submit to sites that will probably say no a
few times. Write daily, no matter what I'm writing.
5) Grow as a blogger.
That's not really the same thing. This is more the "other" stuff. Find a way to organize my blog that works for me, instead of trying to fit into what has worked for others. Step out of my comfort zone of social media (Facebook and Twitter) and explore more with Instagram and G+. Maintain my affiliate relationships. Network and grow my blogging friendships. Continually improve my site. Make the effort to get images into my posts. Reach out to larger sites, to brands, and form partnerships. Give myself a dedicated amount of time daily to make these things happen.
If, by December 31, I've showed growth?
I've succeeded.
