New Year's Resolutions have never been my thing.
I rarely keep one, and when I do I often feel miserable. I enjoy exercising, but when it becomes a daily requirement the fun and excitement of it dissipates quickly. Dieting has also been a concept that I rarely master. I feel as though I eat in moderation, but the need to steer myself away from certain foods or to completely go cold-turkey on a food group makes me crave those items even more.
Instead of setting a resolution that I know I will never keep I've decided to gear my attention towards one word to pave my way for 2012.
This year my source of inspiration is the word focus. It really is a personality flaw that I am trying to overcome. While I believe that I am highly motivated my lack of focus often steers me away from actually achieving simple daily tasks as well as long-term goals.
I love the word focus because I feel that it is pertinent to every aspect of my life.
I plan on being a more focused mother that stops using movies as a way to entertain my child, and I plan to spend more time developing his talents and knowledge base.
I want to be a more focused wife that tries to see my husband's frustrations not as a backlash against me, but as a need for love, understanding, and reassurance.
I want to be a more focused blogger that doesn't sporadically disappear for a week, but as a reliable everyday blogger with regularly featured posts (to be discussed later...).
I also want to become more focused with a budget. I am not great at couponing or saving every penny, but I do want to be better at balancing my checkbook regularly and knowing exactly how much I am spending. I have often caught myself buying things out of want rather then necessity and I want to begin to consciously think about what I am purchasing.
Minimalism is a great thing.
This year I also want to focus more on developing my personal talents. Since entering the realm of motherhood many of the things I use to enjoy have been replaced with mother/wife duties. I love where I am at this stage in my life, but I feel that sometimes I loose myself within the day-to-day tasks of helping others. I truly believe that to be happy everyone needs to have at least one outlet that helps build their talents and skills, rather then always catoring to the needs of others'.
I also want to be more focused at writing letters. I've never been a great letter writer, but I want to become one. The age of email is amazing and creates a convenience that makes letters a thing of the past. My Grandma also said the most precious gifts she ever received were simple hand-written letters of kindness because they are a true act of sacrifice--they require time, attention, and love.
I want to focus on reading the written word rather then getting me daily entertainment from a television. I love the feeling of being enlightened by a great book, I love the challenge and discourse that takes place when talking about what the author meant and how the reader perceived the story. Books provide a simple pleasure that is not easily found in many other things.
Finally, I want to focus on becoming as knowledgeable as possible about natural birth. When Brecken was born there was a small part of motherhood that I never had the chance to experience. I was sedated, drugged, induced, and medicated to the point that the experience was an emotionless blur. I never had the chance to be in tune with my body to understand a contraction and the change a woman experiences when giving birth. I never experienced the physical pain and joy that comes with the birth of a child.
I felt as though I was displaced and out of touch with my own body. This time around, I want to be able to read my body, feel the emotions of childbirth and experience the overwhelming happiness of holding a newborn baby.
I'm asking a lot, right?
;)
I am so excited to welcome in this new year-- to begin re-focusing my life, to prepare for the birth of another child, and to welcome this new chapter with open arms.
What are your New Year's Resolutions? Do you keep them? Do you not? What are you most looking forward in the year to come?
Thanks for stopping in and I hope you have a great night!
