1. Get Healthy
Normally, this resolution would be worded differently: "Lose Weight." However, I think I've finally made my peace with the fact that I'm probably not going to lose the rest of my pregnancy weight until William is weaned (and that is hopefully still several months away). And, Lord willing, I'll get pregnant again at some point this year and losing weight and pregnancy don't really go together. So, I decided to resolve to "get healthy" and choose to take smaller measures to make that happen that are attainable in my current life stage and will benefit me whether I'm nursing, working hard to lose weight, or pregnant.
- Drink 64 oz. of water each day
- Eat 5-6 servings of fruits and vegetables each day
- Get 30 minutes of moderate exercise 3-4 times a week
- Take my multivitamin every day (I forget this a lot)
2. De-clutter/Simplify my house
I'm planning to follow this calendar from MySimplerLife as a guide, but I'm under no illusions that I will complete every day, or even the majority of the days. Tomorrow, for example, I'm supposed to set up a donation station, but I will probably spend the majority of my day tomorrow trying to finally get Christmas decorations put away (don't judge me...my sister had a baby last week so today is the first day I've been home since Christmas). But, as part of this resolution, I'm resolving not to stress out if I miss a day here and there on the calendar. I figure if I just do one day a month I'll do more than I would have done otherwise, right? My ultimate goal is for everything in our house to have a place that it belongs (and "in that stack on the counter" is not an acceptable place for anything to belong).
3. Teach William to fall asleep for naps on his own
I know, I know. He's 8 months old and I still rock him to sleep for his naps. I should be ashamed, right? Well, I'm not. He's such a great night time sleeper that teaching him to fall asleep on his own for naps has not been anywhere close to the top of my list of priorities. And I love the cuddle time. But now I figure he's old enough to figure it out and, once he learns to do it, it will free some time up in my day. Also, it will make it much easier to leave him with a sitter.
4. Show hospitality more regularly
I love having people in my home, but I am awful at making it happen on a regular basis. Whether it's failing to offer an invitation or failing to be prepared for spontaneous opportunities to open our home, I just don't do a great job at making this happen. I would like to have people in our home more, whether it's just having some other moms and their kiddos over for coffee and a play date or throwing a fun dinner party. And I want to be better about keeping my home ready for hospitality: tidy (but not obsessively perfect) and stocked (simple drinks on hand, a brownie mix in the pantry).
5. Have 1 date night with Michael each month
We have been awful about having date nights since William. We have had 2 since April. That's 2 in 8 months. Not so great. So we're resolving together to have at least 1 date night a month. Anybody want to babysit? :)
6. Spend time each day in dedicated prayer and Bible reading
Again, this is an area where I have had zero consistency in the last 8 months. But, realizing that none of the goals listed above are profitable or attainable if attempted in my own strength, I want to set aside time each day to read the Word and pray, whether it's 3 minutes or 30.
Well, there they are. Feel free to ask me how things are going at any time. :)
And if you want to read some really great thoughts of making New Year's Resolutions, check on this blog.
