Good New Year’s resolutions, in my opinion, have 3 key characteristics. 1.) They’re attainable 2.) They’re positive and 3.) They make your life or the lives of those around you better.
So with those three criteria in mind, I sat down to make a list of resolutions for myself… resolutions I knew I could keep. The first one is my main priority – I hope you’ll join me – and the others are goals I hope to be mindful of.
Here we go…
1.) Speak my truth
Over the holidays I went to a dinner and I left feeling pretty upset and hurt over some comments that were made. I talked to Ashley about it the morning after, and her response was, “Emily, I cannot believe you didn’t say anything.” Upon talking to my other closest girlfriend, her response was, “Emily, you’re just a non-confrontational person… it’s not a bad thing, it’s just how you are.”
So after some careful self-reflection, I realized a couple things about myself. 1.) I very rarely defend myself when someone says something hurtful to or about me – instead I deflect with humor or say nothing at all and 2.) I very rarely confront people when I am upset by their words or actions. Personally – I have always been of the mindset that: we’re all adults here – I shouldn’t have to tell you when you’re acting like an a$$hole – you should just know it.
Fortunately or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, I have realized that more often than not people don’t know when they’re being rude, mean or hurtful. So if you want to help yourself (and them), it often makes sense to say something.
That being said, my New Year’s resolution is to “speak my truth”… in moments when it matters, and to take confrontation head on. I will never be the kind of person that feels it necessary to voice my opinion about everything to everyone. By nature, I am a quiet and contemplative person. I only share my opinions when I feel it necessary, and with those closest to me – I’m definitely a “keep your circle tight” kind of gal. So I am well aware that this resolution is going to be hard for me, and I know it’s going to test me. But in the long run, I think being more confrontational is an important characteristic to cultivate, and I know I’m going to grow from it. The main goal is not to change others – I know that is impossible… but to change myself.
After writing this – I found this wonderful article here – about “speaking your truth” and it helped me realize the importance and depth of my resolution. It’s a powerful life change if you choose to make it.
Does anyone else need to work on this too?
2.) Build more muscle
After having William, losing the baby weight was easy, but building back the muscle – ehhh – not so much. Anyone who knows me, knows that I loathe working out. So making a resolution about working out or going to the gym is just worthless. So… if I can take a walk with Henry one day… or do 100 sit ups another day… or do tricep dips with William on my lap… those are more realistic goals for me – and all of them build muscle. Woo hoo!
3.) Be more judicious with my time
I love my job – so much – but the truth of the matter is that I cannot leave my desk from 5:30am to 2:30pm – and I can’t get to William until 3pm at the earliest. So that leaves about 5 hours a day – max – to spend with my child, husband, family and friends — not to mention working on the blog — or finding time for myself. So, I am going to work on a weekly plan that helps me spend my time more wisely.
I think it’s something most people struggle with – how to most efficiently divide your time between your life’s passions and how to make it count. I will let you know what I come up with!
4.) Get more organized around the house
I’ve mentioned it before – even though our house is “clean”, it’s not organized. And, because we had so much family in town for the holidays it is especially bad right now. To be honest, our house is a complete disaster.
#keepingitreal
Between baby stuff, blog stuff, and gifts stuff – we are over loaded with stuff. So the point of this resolution is to simplify and to organize. I will be sure to post about what works and what doesn’t – just give me a couple of months!
5.) “Never put off for tomorrow, what you can do today.”
This past Fall, Joe and I made the decision to head back east, to Florida, to visit my Poppy. He wasn’t sick, but he was weak, and we wanted to make sure he got some quality time in with William before he was too tired to enjoy it. Joe really fought me on this trip, as we both had so much going on at home, but something in me knew it was the right thing to do. We all ended up going, and it was such a wonderful trip.
As many of you know, my Poppy died two days before Christmas. It was unexpected, and it still hurts very much – but I am so thankful for that trip we took to Florida. I will always remember my Poppy’s smile as he held William, and I will always be able to hold those memories in my heart. So if I’ve learned anything – it is to “Never put off for tomorrow what you can do today.”
Happy 2016 loves! I hope you come up with your own list of resolutions – and cheers to sticking with them! Feel free to share in the comments below!
Cheers to 2016!
*Thank you to Bunny for the “speak your truth” inspiration!
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