New year, new resolutions, right? Le sigh. If you're anything like me, the best laid plans fall flat before January's out. But this time I'm determined to make changes and to stick by them dammit. The first rule of resolve is to think itty bitty. Lofty goals are bound to fail.
It helps that The Happiness Project by Gretchen Ruben was waiting for me under the Christmas tree this year. Like me, Ruben wasn't unhappy per se, but definitely was aware that she could be more happy if she just got a little more organized and grabbed life's harnesses a little tighter.
And the idea resonated. Big time. Jotting things down—be it a meal plan or a novel outline—forces you to commit more than just daydreaming about how wonderful the outcome will be. If you are Type A (I am so gloriously Type A), the mere act of writing feels like a massive first step in owning your goals.
#1 Thou Shalt Not Nag
I keep a To Do List (TDL). Have done for years. I have a whiteboard in my kitchen, and I'm not afraid to use it. What I need now is a secondary TDL, which will include those bucket list chores that I occasionally think about but seldom get around to because they just aren't as pressing as the other items on my primary TDL (or TDL1). Most items on the TDL2 are domestic jobs.
In an effort not to nag darling husband, I will schedule these jobs for when we can afford to hire someone to do them. Then I'll hire said professional. And I will do nice little things, a note, a choco pain, for darling husband. What I won't do is nag. Or at least not more than once in every 24-hour interval.
#2 Lose Thy Bowl of Jelly
Saint Nick may look jolly as all get-out with that bowl full of jelly above his belt buckle; on me not so much. Besides, belly fat is a killer. For the first time I've really let go, and the fact that I look a four months' pregnant has left me feeling shamefaced. In short, the jelly's got to go. But it will take more than good intentions this time around.
My husband laughs, but I am a chronic snacker. He likens it to a Canadian disease. Come 8pm, I start to get twitchy. I'm inclined to reach for something crunchy and heavily salted to sink my teeth into. In addition to listing everything that passes my lips, snacking will be strictly prohibited, limited to weekends, and even then will only include approved items: celery with natural peanut butter or stove popped popcorn, sans butter.
#3 Look After Thyself (Better)
That means scheduling the next hair cut, dentist, massage, girls night out, etc, immediately following the last. Many appointments can be rolling. The beauty of booking things more than a month in advance is that you can always cancel. But having to pick up the phone to cancel is a pain in the ass, so you're more likely keep engagements. Well, I am anyway, because the only thing I despise more than having to pick up the phone to book appointments is picking up the phone to cancel them.
#4 Feed Thy Mommy Brain
Whether it's reading YMC's book club book each month, signing up to that hot yoga class, learning to crochet or speak fluent Mandarin, your brain is an erogenous zone and needs frequent stoking. Mine involves finishing a certain damn novel—again, by breaking down the task into bite-sized chunks, a scene here, a scene there, the damn thing might actually get done this side of 2013. I don't know about you, but procrastination only makes me feel like shit.
Care to share some mommy resolutions of your own?
Printer-friendly version