The New Year

Last year around this time I introduced you all to my idea of Labor Day being MY New Year start. I just went back and looked at that post, and boy did I miss the boat this year. I will at this time choose to move forward, and choose not to regret the past. Next week marks the passing of summer into the new school year for my boys, and with that a new routine in our house.

This year's RESOLUTIONS are...

1)Get my weight under control. I am doing this for me. I am not happy when I look in a mirror. I am not happy with the way my clothes fit. I have started to notice myself unconsciously covering my stomach with things when I sit down, and tugging at the waist of my shirt to make sure my blubber isn't exposed. I also need to start setting an example. If people are going to take me seriously as a nutritionist, yoga instructor, personal trainer, and massage therapist, then I must start looking/behaving the part.

2) Get my divorce done. I have been procrastinating on this for over a year now. It's time to start to build my new life, and I will never truly be able to do that until I have freed myself fully from my old life(well, as fully as I can given that we have monkeys together).

3) Make my house into MY house(well, mine and my kids house). This house was bought with the needs of two other adults in mind as well as me and the boys. This house was decorated to a fair degree by those other two adults. This house is still holding may items that belonged to those other two adults. I am tired of feeling sad/angry/resentful when I look around my house. It's time to move on.

4) Make those that care for me feel LOVED!!! Just because it's at the bottom of the list, doesn't make it the least important. This item in fact is the MOST important.

I have a tendency to get overzealous in my list making, and end up easily overwhelmed. I think this is a manageable list of resolutions, and look forward to the new year, as I always do.

Do you feel the same way about Labor day?

Get Your Shit Together Challenge - Week 2

I just have to take a moment to say WOW!!! It seems that this is a topic and a challenge that just about everyone can get behind. Last weeks post had the highest number of hits of any of my posts so far. Thank You! Hopefully after a year we will all be well on our way to having our shit together.

First I'll let you know how I did with last weeks tasks

Health and Wellness
-Make at least one health related appointment you have been putting off
I cheated a bit on this one, as I had already fulfilled this task 2 days before starting the challenge. I figured since it was something "I" had been putting off, others would have been as well.

Creativity
-Chose one unfinished project, and work on it at least every other day all week
I failed miserably on this one. I had plans to work on my Mom's birthday gift, but never touched it.

Professional
-Begin pulling together your tax requirements. If you have already filed, good for you, want to come help me out?
This one didn't happen either.

Family
-If you have kids, play at least one board game with them this week. If you don't have kids, call a relative that you haven't talked to for a while(maybe see if they want to play a board game too).
Yet another item I didn't check off. I was only home with the boys 2 evenings this week and one was spent at the pool for diving.

Diet
-Try one new recipe that contains ingredients that in theory EVERY member of your household will eat. Aim for it being a healthy recipe.
Yay! I did manage to do this, however, only 2 out of 3 of us liked the "cashew crusted chicken"

Household
-Pick one room in your home, and purge 10 DIFFERENT items. This means 10 books doesn't count.
Look at that! Another item not completed. Seeing a pattern?

Stuff
-Make one appointment/send one e-mail/mail something that you have been avoiding.
Completed! Appointment made to meet with my lawyer to move forward and complete my divorce. Talk about an appointment worthy of avoiding.


Now we get to the new challenges. I have decided in light of my only half completed list that I still ended up being overzealous despite my best effort to the contrary. In light of this revelation I will be "simplifying" the challenge. For the time being each week will involve 3 challenges. They will not currently be categorized, but perhaps that will change in the coming months as we all get our shit a little bit more "together".


Week # 2 Challenges


1) Get completely on top of your laundry this week. This includes bedding and towels.


2) Spend time on professional development this week. Read some journal articles, register for a class or course, or even volunteer for a new project at work.


3) Make a commitment to your health this week. Go for a walk, get to the gym, drink your 8 glasses of water every day, or eat at least one vegetarian meal.


Good Luck every one. I know I will get this list completed, I hope you will too.

New Year's Resolutions

I know it isn't New Years yet, but hear me out. Last year I realized that to the people of the earth involved with school the beginning of the school year is the REAL New Year. This is the time of new beginnings for teachers, students, and parents. We've all had a long break, a break that throws our routines, schedules, and good/bad habits out of whack. Then along comes some arbitrary day, for most following Labor Day, and all of a sudden we need to find those routines and schedules again. I figure that while I'm at it, I might as well try and make some improvements along the way. That is why I have proclaimed the return of my kids to school as MY New Year.

I don't even remember what last year's "resolutions" were, I'm sure that I failed miserably as at this time last year I was full on miserable about the state of my marriage. I'm sure that just like I always do I resolved to be better at cleaning, lose weight, eat healthy, blah, blah, blah.

This year I need to do all of those normal resolutions that just about everyone seems to have, but this year I have some that are a bit more specific to me, or at least to my current situation.

#1. I resolve to have one day a week that is "YES Day". A day that as long as it isn't going to hurt anyone, and a couple things that need to get done happen I will say YES to my children and their requests of me and my time.

#2. I resolve to stay on top of the things I NEED to do. This is a relatively "common" resolution I know, but for me, this year, it will be an important one. For me it will mean proving to myself, and my Ex that I am capable of taking care of myself and my boys. In this category will be little things like staying on top of the housework, keeping up with bills, remembering the boys school "schedule", as well as bigger things like purging my house, and dealing with the lawyer right away. I'm realizing after putting it all into words, that ALL of that might be BIG things.

#3. I resolve to make sure that the people I Love feel Loved. I will make more effort to stay in touch with my family and friends. I will make more of an effort to remember and acknowledge birthdays. I will be as considerate and giving as I can be. My family in particular are very supportive and giving people, they deserve to know how much I appreciate them.

#4. I resolve to bring my expectations of my Ex down into line with the reality that I know. For some reason I have had this hope that my Ex would suddenly become "Super Dad" now that we are separated, and as such I have spent the past six months disappointed for my boys, and resentful. I now realize that it is wrong of me the expect him to be anything more than he always has been. I need to let that go so that I can be the MOTHER that my boys deserve.

#5. I resolve to enjoy life. I tend to be a thinker, researcher, and worrier. these things were all pretty good attributes when I was a teen with outgoing friends(I have always been a mother hen), but now as I get older I feel that it holds me back. I have never been impulsive, out going, or (most sadly) PASSIONATE. I will take some baby steps here, since spontaneity is a pretty big deal for me. I will make more effort to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves. I will also STOP thinking through the entire situation before deciding to go forward. I do not have a crystal ball, I cannot see how something will end, so why should I say no based on the outcome that my imagination created?

I'm confident that this "year" will bring many changes, many improvements. I hope that with this list to guide me I'll be one more step towards having it all "together". I am finally beginning to create a new life for myself and my boys, and I'm really excited to see where it takes us.

What are your New Years Resolutions?