Typically, I am squarely with Linda in the anti-resolution camp, but this year my hand has been forced. Between the addition of child #3, a husband who works insane hours and is barely home during the week, starting my own company a year ago, and the start of kindergarten last fall for child #1 (which somehow became an entire-family experience), I have pretty much been spinning out of control for the past year or so. I have been beating up on my body quite a bit - too much caffeine, too much sugar, too much snacking/grazing instead of meals, too much wine, and not enough sleep and exercise. No wonder I've been feeling like I'm running on empty!
I'm sure there are many of you in this same boat because one of the occupational hazards of Baby Bunching is that it is a very physical job to mother very young children. Make that multiple young children and you're constantly hopping in an effort to feed, water, clothe, bathe, entertain, and monitor little ones who can't do much for themselves.
While I'm staunchly opposed to setting myself up for failure by making resolutions I know I can't keep, something has got to change when it comes to taking care of myself. And honestly, I have so much to work on that if I'm actually gonna change it and keep it that way, I've got to do it with baby steps. So I made a few small goals for myself. Somehow I'm under the impression that if I write them down for the whole world to see, I might actually STICK to a few of them, so here goes:
- Eat breakfast every day.
- Scale back on the caffeine by drinking 1-2 cups of regular out of the pot hubby makes and then refilling my cup with decaf.
- Go back to 1 Diet Coke a day, a habit I successfully adhered to for 15 years and only recently broke for some reason.
- Sit down and eat lunch and dinner. It only takes 10 minutes. Let people cry if I have to. I deserve to eat, for God's sake.
- Would like to go back to my rule of 1 treat per day, which I have never successfully adhered to. But I CAN adhere to 2 treats per day.
- PLAY with the kids (without multi-tasking, checking my BlackBerry or doing anything else) for an hour after school.
- Exercise a little each day. My previous, physically-fit self always believed that it wasn't a workout unless you could commit at least an hour to fit in cardio and strength training and be drenched in sweat at the conclusion. My new, maternal self has finally realized that something is better than nothing. 20 minutes a day of either is a start.
- Wine only on weekends.
- Bed no later than midnight during the week.
None of these are earth-shattering, but they're all a (baby) step in the right direction. Do you have just one or two little changes you'd like to make this year?
I'm making baby steps too, hoping to make some progess, but I know if I attempt anything to drastic I'll never follow through.
My baby steps are similar to yours...
-eat a little healthier by not snacking so often and eating less junk food
-work out twice a week
-stop telling my 2 year old 'just a minute' when he wants me to play with him.
-make sure I read more w/ my kids during the day and not just before bed
Posted by: kelly | Jan 05, 2010 at 01:20 PM
My biggest resolution is to pray morning and evening. Since I've failed terribly trying myself, I'm thinking about spending my saved pennies on a Life Coach to help me create this really important habit. I know it sounds incredibly religous and fanatical but, in my opinion, our spiritual lives are the most important.
Posted by: janna | Jan 05, 2010 at 10:33 PM
Oh yes, don't even get me started on my spiritual shortcomings. I've started "Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World" in my quest to address that - how far do you think I've gotten in the MONTH since I've read the book - about less than halfway - LOL. What I really need is more hours in the day! Best of luck to both of you on your baby steps!
Posted by: Cara Fox | Jan 06, 2010 at 10:19 PM
My 2 big resolutions are to continue getting healthier this year (that's been my resolution for the last 17 years or so but since I already started last fall, it may stick this time) and to be a DONA certified Doula by next New Years. The get healthier has already yielded unexpected benefits. Part of that goal was to get a bare minimum of 30 min of some sort of activity on the Wii fit every day even if it was just free step. I figured out that my 9 month old, who previously only went down at night nursing, will go to sleep in her Mei Tai while I'm free-stepping on the Wii and then actually let me put her down.
Posted by: Molly | Jan 07, 2010 at 06:21 PM
I have a ton of changes I'd like to implement and I love your list. I keep trying to scale back on the caffeine and then we go through a family cold or sleep issue or something and I go right to it to keep my sanity.
Your tip on not needing to exercise an entire hour hits home here. I don't even go to the gym anymore since I can't get the imaginary allotted time done.
Posted by: Casey | Jan 08, 2010 at 10:23 PM
So I'm thinking I need a Wii. I'm the last person on the planet without one and everyone I know is using theirs to exercise. Seemed like a shady workout to me (video game?!) which is why I didn't jump on the bandwagon, but all you girls are swearing it's legit. Bday gift, maybe?
And props to you, Molly, for figuring out how to settle the wee one as a bonus!
Posted by: Cara Fox | Jan 10, 2010 at 07:55 PM
Wow! I JUST posted on this and clicked over to our site. I can so relate to everything in your post! It's true, baby steps are the way to go. Giving up caffeine 4 years ago has made a huge difference for me- keep trying! We mothers all have the same struggles so it's nice to hear what others are doing to balance this crazy life called Motherhood. And, I don't have a Wii. Maybe I need one, too.
Posted by: Knowles | Jan 10, 2010 at 10:01 PM
you have a good list tips recommendation, i think to change my habits into more healthy habits will be the good one.
Posted by: healthy lifestyle | Jan 14, 2010 at 10:56 AM