Beginnings

Are you making any New Years Resolutions?  I’m terrible at resolutions.  Each year I embrace the opportunity to start fresh and begin to plan ALL the many things I hope to change.  Inevitably I plan too many. So many in fact that it quickly becomes overwhelming.  I become discouraged and I quit. 

I’ve decided to scale back this year; to take baby steps to change.  I’m going to approach resolutions the same way I approach my exercise training regimen.

I actually enjoy working out, something I could not have said ten or fifteen years ago.  Somewhere in the last decade running became a part of my routine.  Each year I would run the local 10K a little faster, which encouraged me to train more.  A few years ago a friend of mine asked me to do a triathlon and I said yes.  So the two of us started small, and we now train for longer races, and have added strength training to our plan.   

However, if you had told me ten years ago that I would be getting up at 5am to workout I would have laughed in your face. Ten years ago I simply could not do it.  I didn’t have the self control, inspiration or dedication.  I have grown up a lot since then, and thanks in part to baby steps along the way.

So this year I’m downsizing.  I’ve chosen three areas of my life where I’d like to see change…my soul, my mind and my body.  While those are big parts of me, the changes I’m making are small. 

Soul: I will take time each month to spend one-on-one time with each of my kids. 

I’m constantly fretting over the lack of quality time that I get with them, and how quickly they’re growing up.  A friend of mine over at Homemade Parenting takes her boys out one-on-one all the time.  That inspires me.

Mind: I will read for 15 minutes each day. 

It’s disgusting how little quality reading I do.  I have no problem spending 45 minutes reading updates on Facebook, but I don’t have time at the end of the day to read a book?  Wrong, wrong, wrong!  Fifteen minutes is a short time, one I know I can accomplish.  So I start small and move up; it’s better than becoming discouraged because I can’t meet a larger goal.

Body: I will sit down and eat breakfast every morning, before the kids get up.

This was the hardest resolution for me to come up with.  I’m relatively fit.  I drink plenty of water and I exercise almost daily.  So…the final frontier is my diet. I have terrible eating habits, and am constantly missing breakfast in the morning.  Whether it’s because I’m not hungry immediately after a workout or because I feel like I don’t have time.   Both of which are excuses.  Not eating breakfast isn’t an option for my kids, so it shouldn’t be an option for me.

So that’s it.  Three small things…not overly extreme life changing things.  Just three small things that will make my overall life more enjoyable and healthy.

So what are your resolutions this year?