Wednesday, January 6, 2016

New Year, Better Me

It's been months since I've last blogged. Life has definitely been busy. I started this blog two years ago as a way to document our lives in all it's busy, crazy, growing years. I want to remember the best times with my family. I want them to have a place to come and remember when I can no longer tell them the stories.

But, with everything that has good intentions, blogging was often times put on the back burner. Between moves, having another baby, building a business, and, if I'm being honest, not sure my blog was any good when I compared it to the other blogs I love , I just stopped.

During the last few weeks of 2015 I hit the pause button on some areas of my life in a BIG way. Each day was about me spending my time how I saw it. If that meant playing Legos for hours. If it meant watching Netflix instead of being productive. If it meant skipping a workout session. If it meant ordering take out two nights in a row because, eh, who really wants to cook.

You see, I had put all this pressure on myself to map out my days a certain way. I had laid out these goals with these deadlines; buried myself in expectations I had conjured up about what would make me better, be best for our family. And while most of those expectations and goals still ring true, I learned I wanted to go about achieving them in a very DIFFERENT way.

I revised my goals for 2016. Here it is six days in and I am just writing my first blog of the new year. Because one of my goals for myself is

{ G R A C E }
Grace extended to me from me. Grace extended to my kids when they ask (for the 100th time) what we are doing today. Grace extended to my husband when, although he tries his best, he just doesn't understand how I'm so tired when I've just been home all day. Grace to the person in front of me in line at the grocery store who is taking forever to check out her 4 items. Grace.

I'm human. I will have good and bad days. And the bad days don't really matter unless I dwell on them and forget that I'm human because I get so wrapped up in trying to be perfect.

And....

{ B A L A N C E }
I'm claiming balance in 2016. All that stuff I listed: wife, mom, Beachbody coach, school board member, taxi driver, etc... I can be each of those things. I can do those things well. But I can't do them all ALL the time. I will do what must be done first every day. The other tasks I cross of my list--they are bonus. Because I know I can't get it all done every day. But some. I am committing to some each day.


But most of all....

{ J O Y }
I hit pause back in December for the simple fact that, for being the most wonderful time of the year, I wasn't feeling so wonderful. And that is not OK. I love the holiday season and I would be damned if I wasn't going to find a way to be JOYFUL in it.

I looked at what I was doing and asked if it would bring me joy in that moment. If it wasn't going to, and didn't HAVE TO be done, I didn't do it.

And in doing that, I realized quickly the things in my life that do bring me joy.

  • my family
  • my friends
  • working out
  • reading
  • time in God's word
  • blogging
  • helping others through my work
I realized I love most of what I already did, just not how I did it.

That is why I'm blogging again. It brings me joy. I love looking back at our babies. I love reading how life was at a point in time. I enjoy sharing my perspective and thoughts. It isn't about anyone else.

This year, when I set goals and go after achieving them, those three words are in my mind. They are the heartbeat of my day-to-day.

1 comment:

  1. Welcome back! I think your goals for the year are perfect and some everyone can relate to! I really need to be better at balancing too..maybe this is the year!

    ReplyDelete

Hi! Welcome to this crazy life! Thanks for stopping by! I love hearing from my readers and connecting with you all! Xoxo~Bekah