Despite being “practically perfect in every way” 😉 I have thought of some resolutions for 2014. Sort of… I have vague fragments that haven’t completely solidified as thoughts yet, but writing this post will help with that. I was never very good at communicating notions rather than thoughts.
Anyway.
My biggest resolution for 2014, and one that pretty much over arches the other resolutions, is to be in the moment. This is a very difficult thing for me to do since it’s always been my “bent” to be goal driven and just plow through the moments till I get to the goal. The problem is, kidos live in the moments, they really know how to do it. On a recent kidless car ride when I had some time for introspection, I realized just how many moments I was waisting, missing or plain ruining because I’m not living there with my kids. By the end of the drive my spirit was so bowed down with the weight of my own inadequacy. It’s not a pleasant feeling, but it’s a good place to be because then God can raise you back up with His strength and grace. So with His help I think that 2014 will be a better year for me where this struggle is concerned.
Along with that we are changing some things with our parenting. Some changes are pretty dramatic and others are less so. There will be more on those to come, but this post is about moi. 😉
So in keeping the “viva le moment” theme, I have deleted Facebook from my phone. It’s just far too convenient for it to be right there at my finger tips any time of the day when I’d like to escape the moments. I quit facebook once before and it was a good time of refocus for me. Social media has it’s perks, but it’s biggest downside in my opinion is how it can totally take over your life! The reason I came back to FB was because I found that there were people from a distance who really loved me and were interested in my life and FB was the only way they were able to keep up with us at all. So I came back for them. Kinda sounds selfish that I’d get on for all the people wanting to keep up with ME, but it was so. And of course there are people that I want to keep up with as well. However, I can’t keep up with everyone, and even though I know that, it’s sometimes hard to stop scrolling because you just want to see what EVERYONE is doing. 😉 Anyway, this step is merely to help me control my FB consumption. If I have to go to the computer and start up the internet every time I want to post a status update then I’m quite a bit less likely to do it so often. Never fear though, I sill have Instagram and will be posting as many photos as usual, because I don’t have to be ON FB to do that. 😉
Also along those lines I realize that I absolutely will need ‘breaks’ from the reality of the moments we’ll be living in. I have 5 children, 8 chickens, 2 (and soon to be more) goats, and a dog. Plus I’m about as introverted an introvert as ever hid from walked the planet. And yes, that includes my kids. I love living with them, and playing and laughing, of course, but I still need breaks to recharge. Even on the days that are seemingly “easy” as in it hasn’t been one ginormous discipline fest all day, I still have to have time alone to be human. Just a fact. So in light of that, I aim to have my workout time be my uninterrupted me time. (Don’t worry there will be others, actually I find sitting up at the barn with the goats very therapeutic as well) I have a great workout program that only takes half an hour to get through, and it’s a perfect use of the kids “recess” time in the mornings.
I’m not making ‘diet’ resolutions as I’m coming to a better understanding of a healthy mindset toward food. I want to exercise to get stronger and tone those not so toned spots. In my mind of course I’d like to see a change on the scale, but I’m not concentrating on that. I think the biggest indicator will be how I feel and how my clothes fit. 🙂
As far as other “health” related resolutions I’m resolved to continue learning about more healthy food choices. Our family is going to begin consuming raw goat milk. We are looking for options for grass-fed beef, organic pork and hopefully will be able to raise our own chicken meat. It’s a process, and part of this living in the moment is to patiently wait for some of these things. The point is it’s a goal to reach for, and as we do, we’ll be changing ourselves along the way in the process.
Happy 2014!!!