Happy New Year everyone!!
Can you believe it's already 2019?! I can't. I legitimately question if I've somehow time traveled because I feel like my life is just flying by and I'm not even around to witness it. But since I'm told that's highly improbable by my husband... I guess I just have to face reality and embrace the fact that life just goes by way too quickly.
Now, I don't typically celebrate New Year's anymore. Not out of hate or anything, I just honestly forget it's a holiday. I'd much rather stay home or relax at a friend's than go out and party and do the whole watch-the-ball-drop countdown.
Been there. Done that... in Vegas. And that was enough to hold me over for quite some time.
But, there is one thing about New Year's that I really enjoy - the "resolutions" as many people call them. Or how I like to call them, intentions. I used to call them "resolutions." Probably because I didn't fully grasp what they were.
I honestly saw them as fake promises you make to yourself because that's what you're SUPPOSE to do. Not what you wanted to see out of your life or actually change for the better. For example, I can't tell you how many years my resolutions were to:
- be more organized
- lose 10 pounds
- read 15 books
I saw those things and thought to myself, "damn, I really know how to set goals for myself." Then move on from there.
3-4 weeks later, I'd be back to my old ways. "Failing" again as I had done plenty of times before. Welcoming this old friend named Failure initially really hurt, but overtime it became a choreographed dance that felt so familiar.
Then it hit me, I never had a WHY for those resolutions. Sure they seem self-explanatory:
- be more organized - obviously I needed to put things away and work on cleaning
- lose 10 pounds - and this one? Sheesh, don't even get me started on all the magazines, Instagram accounts, and even friends who (unknowingly) make me feel like a tub of lard on a hot day.
- read 15 books - because who doesn't want to be well-read? And the bragging rights to say, "yeah, I read 15 books this year no problem, why didn't you?"
But this year is different. Sure my intentions for the year may sound similar, but my WHY'S are SO much bigger than me.
So here we go - here's my New Year's Intentions and my Why's.
1. I intend to become more minimalistic - this is fairly similar to becoming more organized. But, this year it's different. I actually want to RID of the things that are holding me back in life and not just organize them into color-coordinated rows and fancy bins in my hall closet. I can't even begin to tell you how much stuff we've already gotten rid of, even before the beginning of the year and the impact it's had on our mentality has been completely unexpected - in the best way possible.
MY WHY - well, first off, if you don't follow me on Instagram, this will be a surprise, but we are expecting a baby this May. And because of this news, it's really made us think about how we want our life to look and feel like this year. It's come down to this: We need life to be simpler for our mental health so we can care for a new life together to the best of our ability. It's that simple, really. I can't function properly if I feel clutter in my house and in my mind.
2. I intend on going to church/watch a sermon online every week - This one may seem basic. In all honesty, it's hard to get up on Sunday mornings and want to go to church when your bed is so warm and cozy. I just want to sleep in and have a slow morning. But then I compare my slowest of mornings to the mornings I get up and go to church and I feel 100x more fulfilled when I am in church. We're giving ourselves some grace with this one. For example, if we know we can't make it to church Sunday, we'll go Saturday night. That doesn't work for us because of traveling? We can listen to a sermon online. There's really no reason for us to not worship in some way, shape, or form.
MY WHY - I feel a sense of peace come over me when I take the time to feed my soul. I feel more prepared for the week and I'm always happier than I was when I walked in that building. I am a better person to everyone when I attend church regularly and I feel that is reason enough.
3. I intend on BEING HEALTHIER - Not sure what I mean? In other words, I want to FEEL GOOD. I want to embrace my body at every stage of my life, especially throughout pregnancy and after, and love myself. I want to take note of what makes me feel good when I eat and what fuels my body the best. Sure I have weight I want to lose, but that doesn't mean that's my only goal. I want to have a healthier mind, body, and soul and this has never been determined by the scale. I thought it did for a long time, but it isn't the number that makes me happy, it's the freedom to accept my body and everything it does for me and the happiness I get from that freedom.
MY WHY - Not only do I want to be a good example to others around me, future child included, but I really want to find the healthiest version of ME because I DESERVE IT. I deserve to feel confident and happy at all times and I absolutely know that doesn't include the number on the scale. And when I'm taking care of myself first, others get the best version of me and in-turn are taken care of on a better level than I could have originally. You cannot fill someone else's cup if yours is empty, my friend.
I hope this makes you think about your New Year's Intentions in a different way. If you love the ones you've selected, KEEP THEM, but know it's so much more than an empty goal. You need to have a why, a STRONG why to keep you motivated throughout the year. To push you past the hard times.
Please believe me when I say:
You deserve to achieve all of those things you've set out for yourself.