New Year's Resolutions

I’m a big fan of New Year’s resolutions. I’m not always so great at keeping them, but I figure even if I work at something for the first two weeks of the year, it is better than nothing. Last year my resolution was to shower and put make-up on every day. I knew from the outset that every day was asking too much, but I did lots better than I had in the past. It wasn’t really just a hygiene goal (I never felt like I was stinky before, I just didn’t look cute). It was a mood goal. There is a strong correlation between how I look and how I feel/act. I am a happier, more productive, nicer person if I get out of my pajamas before 10 a.m. and get ready to face the world. So, that is going to be my carryover resolution for this year. We’ll see if I can do better than last year. (Right now it is 10:45 and I’m sitting on my bed in my pajamas with a ponytail and no makeup, but I’m kind of taking today off of real life; I’ll start tomorrow.) :)

I have lots of other goals for this year . . . improve family scripture study, make weekly menu plans, be a calmer parent (aka stop yelling) . . . but my main goal is to stress less. I feel stressed out a lot (A LOT). I stress about things I need to do. I stress about things I have already done. I stress about things that I should have already done but I haven’t gotten to yet. I stress about my kids. I stress about money (oddly, not about having enough, but using every bit that we do have to the max by getting the best deal possible on anything I buy). The list goes on and on. My mind is constantly ticking with to-do lists and “I should have done” lists and I’m kind of driving myself nuts (not to mention driving my quality husband nuts). So, my new plan is to stop thinking about everything so much and just do it. More importantly, I’m going to work on not looking back once it is done. No more regrets. My new philosophy is going to be live and learn and MOVE ON.

Luckily I live with a perfect role model for this attitude. Nate doesn’t worry. Ever. If there is something that needs to be done, he just does it. He doesn’t worry about it for a week first. Even better, he has a remarkable ability to get over things. I’m still twitching because I forgot to sign into ebates before I ordered some Legos today so I lost $3. Things like that (or 100 times worse) don’t even register with Nate and he would never be thinking about them two hours later. I’m going to do my very best this year to follow his lead and just CHILLAX (that was for you Babe).

My first step on this “worry less, do more” journey is that I’m going to finish Emily’s birthday party post today. I wrote it up on September 11th, but I never got around to putting pictures with it. It has been nagging at the back of my brain ever since. I know that no one really cares if I do it or not, but it still bugs me that I haven’t. So, as my first resolution baby step, I’m going to stop thinking about it and just do it. Healthy, right?


Done! See how easy that was. :)