Yeah, Yeah...I’m late on this whole New Year thing. I do realize it is the tenth day of January and I am just now taking the time to publicly declare my goals for the year.
Over the holiday break, I decided to release my inner child and did the absolute minimum on this whole adulting thing. I made sure the kids were alive...I fed them their required eight meals a day, monitored their bathing habits, and did the occasional load of laundry when someone complained about no clean underpants, but for the most part, I enjoyed my break too. I slept in, spent a good part of the day in my pajamas only to change into yoga pants and a t-shirt, read a book, binged a few Netflix shows, played with my kids and expanded my waistline a few inches. It was completely and blissfully uneventful, and free of chaos. Time we could simply just be. And I loved EVERY. LAST. MINUTE.
At the same time though, I one hundred percent lost my motivation to do anything. There were several projects I had planned to tackle over the break, but I didn’t do them. And when New Years Day rolled in, I sat at the kitchen table with my brand new planner and my colorful pens and didn’t write a single thing down. Not one word. I stared at those blank pages and couldn’t think of a single word, or phrase or idea that was going to motivate me for the year. So of course, I picked up my phone and scrolled through social media for inspiration only to find that everyone declaring their goals and resolutions left me feeling overwhelmed and empty.
School started back on Monday though and we were all back into our regular routine. As I walked through the house after dropping off the kids and tackling the Mount Everest sized pile of laundry lying in our room, I had time to clear my head and think. And I realized (well actually, I had several realizations...one of which is that I apparently need a routine to keep me focused) is that I had one phrase for my motto for the year, “be more intentional.”
I actually looked up what this meant so that I was crystal clear on what I wanted for the year. It means actively engaging in your life and living a life that is fulfilling to you. As I reflected back on 2019, there were many circumstances out of my control where I felt my life was in chaos. But I also realized there were several things I could have controlled but didn’t, and by the end of the year, I was feeling overwhelmed, drained and depleted. I felt helpless in that the circumstances were dictating my life. I wasn’t LIVING. And I don’t want 2020 to be that way.
So, here are my declarations for the New Year…
I will be intentional with my time with the kids, my hubby and my friends. And I actually have a fun little tool that is going to help me with that that I can’t wait to share.
I will be more intentional with my time with God.
I will learn a new skill or dust off an old one!
I will visit a new place.
I will accomplish one dream I’ve had for myself.
Notice I said I will, not I want to. Saying “I WILL” is me actively engaging in my life. I WILL do these things and I want to document them all and share them with you. I am excited and motivated to tick them off, one by one. So help me by following along on my journey, and keeping me motivated to LIVE my life more intentionally.