New year, who dis?
You did it, Mama. You survived the holidays. You wrapped the presents, moved the elf, remembered all of the school activities (sort of). You celebrated, you planned, you cooked the meals, you made everything magical and exciting and did all of the things, and here we are left at that weird point in the year that has us all doing a little self-reflection. Now insert the New Year resolution!
I’ve always used my birthday as my self-reflection-resolution time. Being fortunate to make another year around the sun with health intact brings a certain gratitude for me, but so does starting a new year, right?!
So, what will it be? Be more patient with the kids and not get so mad? Be more organized? Purge all the clutter from my home? Or my personal favorite: lose weight and get in shape. Yep. We all do it. We think, “Oh no, I’ve binged too much this past year on all the bad foods, and I’m not active enough, so now I need to diet and exercise to lose those pounds!” Then we all join the gym, and the months of January and February are packed like a club on a Friday night (I assume this because I haven’t been to a club in a million years). Smith machine always got people lingering too long staring at themselves in the mirrors, someone trying to flex at the cable machines for what seems like an eternity, all the treadmills zooming at full speed, and all the ellipticals bopping and bumping. Everyone hollering, “Happy New Year!” Which, by the way, I’ve always found it funny when people still say “Happy New Year,” and it’s February, and then I think, “Well when is the actual acceptable cut-off time to say Happy New Year?”
READ: How To Make Your ‘New Year, New Me’ Fitness Goals Last
But I digress. What I’m really here to preach is don’t be so hard on yourself when it comes to these resolutions. There’s no need to rush to the gym and crash diet until you get burned out by March. There’s no need to set high expectations that just end up disappointing you and then demotivate you. Start slow, start simple, start at any time of the year, and be consistent. Find a routine that works best for your lifestyle. Or even better, start from within. I’m a firm believer that the universe sends you signs all the time, you just have to be open to receiving them.
Here lately there has been a word and theme that has come up in several conversations with different friends and it’s been pretty consistent, so I thought to myself, that’s it. That’s my “resolution” for this year, and that word is intentional.
READ: My Final Word on Resolutions
I still plan on making fitness a priority, it is a great stress relief and helps me do other things I like to do like running and skating, but my plan for the new year is to be more intentional. Intentional in my relationships with those I care about, intentional in my career, intentional with setting boundaries, and intentional with the time I spend with my kids. I want there to be a purpose to what I am doing and what I’m saying and not worry about those who don’t reciprocate.
Then I think, “Whoa, That’s a tall order! You sure you can do this? Some days you are just an intentional a-hole because, well, life… you know?” Then I tell myself, “Yes, I’m sure, and even if I fail, I won’t give up because I’ve failed at many things before and all those failures were where the real growth has happened. Life is too short to spend your energy on things that don’t matter. Self-doubt is your worst enemy.”
So for me, my resolution has more to do with how I respond to those in my life, whether it’s good, bad, or ugly. Small goals should be celebrated throughout the year, pep talks and kind words given, and on those really tough days, it should be okay to air kick and scream and let it all out, then get that dirt off your shoulders and adjust that crown, my queen, because you are a badass, and now go get back at it!
So, I say join the gym and declutter the home, but just a friendly reminder that sometimes you just need to declutter your mind and your heart, and that’s the healthiest, most productive resolution of all. Those who matter don’t mind, and those who mind don’t matter!
Now, in the closing of my resolution pep talk, friends, I wish you all a Happy New Year, and may 2024 bring you good health, kindness, grace, and clarity. You deserve it. You’ve worked hard for it and you aren’t giving up.
