The Art of Revisiting New Year's Resolutions

Retro Fisher Price Little People just inspire awesomeness.

 

March seems like a good month to remind myself that I even wrote resolutions in January.  I have discovered the key to becoming a little better everyday is knowing how to be flexible. 

 

 

 

 

February was a big, fat resolution wash-out month.  My kids and I passed around the same illness two times and my antibiotic resistant sinus headaches returned. 

 

It turns out I had to write resolutions specifically for February.  Here are some of my "February Only" resolutions:

 

• Clean up vomit before needing to scrape vomit up with a spatula.
• Find two new podcasts to listen to while staring at ceiling wondering if it is worth taking everyone to Urgent Care.  (Two new favorite podcasts are History Chicks and Pod Save America.)
• Do five rounds of deep breathing while listening to kids "seal cough" in unison at 2:00 AM.
• Rationalize that cereal bowls of White Cheddar Skinny Pop could be considered dinner somewhere.

 

I had to accept that February was a crud month and be grateful I got through it with slim shreds of sanity intact.  Now that it is March, I am ready to revisit my January resolutions and march on.  Here is my round-up of how things are going.  

 

WORKOUTS:  I am able to get in two work outs a week, with a third workout sprinkled in here and there.  I was listening to a Dr. Zorba "On Your Health" podcast.  He cited research that said being a Weekend Workout Warrior (i.e. getting all your workouts in on the weekend) is almost as beneficial as spacing your workouts throughout the week.

 

 

 

PLAYDATES:  Two play dates happened in January and one in March.  That is an increase of 300%  from last year  (Right???).  After much reflection - I think I need to start inviting my friends over for more play dates.  My friends tend to not scream and build forts in the living room.  Plus they can drink wine.

 

 

My family looks nothing like this freaky, well-coiffed family on the cover.  Last night I lived through Gus making coconut shrimp.  It seemed simple enough, but it pretty much glopped up every bowl in the kitchen.    

 

 

REAL FOOD DINNERS:  Real food and sit down dinners are actually going great and I thought it would be the hardest resolution.  I definitely do spend way more time in the kitchen for prep and clean-up, but the time is worth it.

 

 

I am supposed to be reading the directions for this game.  I don't think I have ever read directions for ANYTHING - which could explain quite a few things.

 

 

FAMILY GAME NIGHT: This has fallen off the schedule, but it will premier again this week.  Tah Dah!  As long as I know it will be over in an hour,  I can do it!

 

Meet my workout pal, Bob.  He doesn't seem to mind if I stay at Level 1 for weeks and weeks.   

 

 

What about you?  How are your resolutions going?  Okay.  Off to work out.

 

Prairie Eydie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Art of Accepting and Expecting

Gretchen Rubin, of Happiness Project fame, says:

 

 

I used to focus only on expecting more from myself.  I would come up with crazy goals.  Take my writing goal for example.  

 

It looks like an inspiring book, right?  The mountain, the birds, the soothing colors. . .

 

I used to be a follower of Julia Cameron's program laid out in the The Artist's Way.  (Okay, follower is too strong of a word. I owned the book and read many pages in it.)  A cornerstone of her program is to write three morning pages in your journal right after you wake up.  In theory, the "Morning Pages" practice could lead you to a clearer mind, less anxiety, and better ideas. 

 

 

Anna:  Duke must you wear a kilt to our wedding?  Duke:  Oh Anna.   We have been through so much together.  Starvation.  The Police Commissioner election.  Avalanches.  Pirates.  Surely we can get past this wedding kilt. 

 

Dutifully, I would set my alarm clock to 4:15 AM so I could write my 3 morning pages.  Because I am from the Midwest, I consistently filled those spiral notebook pages even though I HATED every minute of it.  I wrote grocery lists.  I wrote dialogue for Duke and Anna of General Hospital fame.  I wrote free verse poetry about teaching.  I wrote "I have nothing to write" over and over.  For me, the morning page practice lead to anxiety, dumb ideas, and foggy brain.

 

Now I accept myself and my writing practice.  I keep a one sentence journal.  Every day I write one sentence that sums up the day.  It is okay if the sentences are run-ons because no one is correcting my work.  Here are some of my journal entries:

 

Nov. 24 - I didn't want to cook a Thanksgiving meal, so Gus and I grilled steaks.

 

July 12 - I made two batches of coleslaw today to use up the CSA cabbage and then I got another cabbage in today's CSA share.

 

Aug. 22 - I bought plants back to school today and then left immediately.

 

One sentence can bring back memories of wonderful meals, transitions, and happiness.  I remember August 22, 2016.  It was a super hot day and two of my plants tipped over in the back of my van.  In fact, the dirt is still there!  I had just moved classrooms, again, and was breaking tasks into manageable steps. 

 

Seriously?  Another cabbage?

 

 I still write, of course, but I write when it works into my schedule.  Also, my writing practice doesn't include filling in three pages in my notebook and waking up at 4:15.  It is a balance between  accepting and expecting.