Let's start this off by saying that I have never been one for New Year's resolutions. I feel like the majority of the time, they get broken within a couple of weeks to months and usually they're just "work out", "get fit", "start doing _________ (that I have never done in my life and expect to be able to rock it)"......
To be clear, many people make great resolutions and actually keep them! I have never been one of those people. I would say some generic resolution that everyone else was doing (had to try to stay in line with others instead of only worrying about what God thought of me and what I was doing), stick to it for a bit and then give in cause I didn't actually care. As an adult, I had given up on even making any; I just didn't see a point.
We rang in the New Year as just Matt and myself. We did a countdown with the kids and grandparents earlier in the evening and watched the ball drop with Matt's parents at 9:00. Once it was just Matt and me though, we were ready for bed! But we stuck it out because I really wanted to and Matt went along.
We didn't have the TV on or any music. We stood in the middle of our living room watching the clock.
All that evening, I was considering resolutions. We had been listening to music while playing games and then had the NYC balldrop on which means they were all talking about resolutions. It was in my head and I did consider. By midnight however, I decided I would be choosing not to make a resolution again.
The morning of Janurary first however, I suddenly changed my mind.
God had nudged me enough to get my attention. When you bring God into your decisions and life choices, you gain His perspective. He showed me that when done for the right reasons (not just to fit in with everyone else and attemp popularity), resolutions can be very good!
So here I am with three resolutions for this coming year (and continued into the years after).
1. Be Present
While I have gotten off of social media to be more present with my children, after being so strict about it while breaking the habit of reaching for my phone; I have started letting myself jump on when the kids are asleep or in another room playing. The problem with this is that when they come back into the room, I am slow to put my phone back down. I am also not being present to my husband who has time off right now. I lose presence with God because I'm trying to look at (or am thinking about) what other people are up to. I am not present to myself and my day: what I could and/or should be doing with my day and myself.
So this year, I will become present.
2. "Do Not React"
I hate driving. I love riding, but not driving. I also have a nasty temper which comes out the most while in my car. I honestly don't understand how even half of the population are legally allowed to drive right now. They're just so bad at it and a danger to themselves and literally everyone around them. That's all of the rant that I will be going into for now, sorry! When I'm driving though, I let my frustrations out verbally so that I don't let them out physically and just run my car into theirs because that's not acceptable. The problem with this (while is better than running into people) is that I have children in the car with me and they are little sponge parrots. They listen even when you think they aren't paying the slightest bit of attention.
Last month I started saying over and over again: "do not react" every time I got mad. What surprised me is that it actually worked! That was the only thing coming out of my mouth AND I calmed down much faster! So I will be making that my new habit from here on out.
3. Be Healthy
Not to be confused with "lose weight", "start working out", or any of those other January first health resolutions that fill up gyms and then are back down to just the regulars by March.
This year has put me at my highest weight after having Elijah. I had gestational diabetes with the pregnancy, was told I'm obese, got diagnosed with a couple of disorders.
It's been a lot in all honesty. I've hit some scary lows that lasted and lasted, but my new medication is working wonders! I suppose that's the upside of dealing with and getting diagnoses. Sure, you're putting labels on things but then you can get the very specific help you may need to actually live life well.
This year, I will get healthy mentally, physically, and spiritually.
I will not be going in with a "lose weight!" but I do know that when I stop eating the junk I've been eating and choosing healthy choices, I will naturally lose weight. I will be working on my mental health so that I can be with my family both physically and mentally (this one also plays into my "be present" resolution), and I will continue to give time to God to read His Word and listen to Him.
Going into the new year with this mindset of bettering myself where I have already started gives a surprisingly positive perspective on this coming year and the rest of my life. This year has a true feeling of a fresh start and new beginning.
I'm not telling anyone that they should make a resolution if they haven't but I have discovered that when you do, and it's with the right intentions and mindset, it can be really good.
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