A new year is a time for reflection. A time for goal setting. A time for dieting and a renewed dedication and exercising. A time to set expectations WAY too high and then be disappointed in yourself when you fall short. That's why this year I'm letting myself off the hook. I am making a few specific goals but overall, I just want to be better at the end of this year than I was at the beginning of it. I want to be smarter, healthier, more patient, loving and kind. I want to be a better cook, a better mom, a better wife. I don't need to be perfect, I just want to be moving in the right direction. There are times that I will fall short. There are times when I will eat an entire package of Oreos by myself because I am stressed or worried about something. I will not completely give up on trying to be healthier just because I had a setback. I will just cut myself a little slack and try again the next day. For me, do it any other way is just too overwhelming and frustrating.
One of my specific goals for this year is to do something creative every day. Maybe it's drawing or writing or making up a story to tell my children at bedtime. It might be making up a new recipe or taking photographs. It could be a lot of different things. I have never thought of myself as someone creative and I always wished that I was. So, this year, I will be more creative. This is something outside of my comfort zone and it scares me. I figure, if it scares me, it must be good for me. That makes sense, right?
Another one of my specific goals is to do some kind of exercise each day. If I'm not feeling well, it might just be stretching. If I'm super busy one day, I might jump on the treadmill for 10 minutes or just take my dog for a walk. Obviously, I will try to do something more intense on other days, but that won't always happen and that's okay. Every year, I make it a point to fit into my wedding dress on my anniversary. There have been a few times when that didn't happen (like when I had just had a baby or was pregnant), but I do it most of the time. So, this year I want to fit in my wedding dress AND be able to breathe. This will require a little more dedication.
I have also set a goal to do a blog post at least once a week. 2012 was a VERY bad year for blogging. I feel guilty for neglecting it (which is totally dumb) and so this year I will try harder to do a better job documenting my families life - our struggles, our achievements, and of course, a lot of pictures.
Wish me luck.
