2016 is nearly here, and I must admit, I'm a little nervous about what next year will bring. I have growing concerns about my life and the little lives I am responsible for. This is not because of some dramatic, life-altering event, but rather a series of small choices and habits that have woven together to form our complicated pattern of existence. When I talk about my calendar and to-do list, my friends often remark, "wow...your schedule sure is full." Yes. Yes it is. Unfortunately, as I look towards the coming year, it looks just as busy. I know I'm not the only person with an overly packed schedule. As a matter of fact, mine is actually pretty tame (compared to a few other super-moms I know). I think, subconsciously, we compete with each other, attempting to prove who accomplishes the most, who is a better mom, a better wife, or a better friend. Which one of us can do more, be more, have more? Yet, at the end of the day, does it make us feel any better about ourselves? As for me, I rarely feel like I've accomplished anything at all. Most of the time I feel like most of the stuff I do everyday has very little "real" value or significance. The busier I get, the worse I feel--depressed, lonely, isolated. In truth, I've spent whole years this way, yet this is not how I want to live, nor how I want to be remembered by the people I call family.
Every year that goes by puts me one year closer to my own personal end. I spend a lot of time thinking about the gap between how things are right now and where I want them to be a year from now. One thing is clear...I will not get to where I want to be if I stay on this present course. Some changes are needed. I know life isn't all about the destination; it's about enjoying the journey along the way. That is precisely why I'm concerned. I don't like the road I'm on. Maybe I need a new map; a new plan; a shift in my attitude and my actions.
Yesterday was a difficult day and while I'm not going to go into great detail, let's just say it involved a son who woke up sick and threw up in the hallway, a van that wouldn't start when it was time to pick up my other son from preschool, a girl who forgot she had girl scouts after school, and various other setbacks that left me feeling frazzled and frustrated. In the past, I would have considered these things inconvenient, maybe even mildly irritating, but I would have handled them with more grace than I did. Handling situations with grace requires me to be in a healthy place--with a positive frame of mind and with peace in my heart. Somehow I've lost that healthiness and I'm struggling to regain it.
The simple truth is, I need a complete overhaul. I need to organize my house, simplify my life, remove all the bad habits that have crept in and replace them with good ones, and live a more balanced lifestyle. This is my new year's resolution for 2016.
Okay, I admit, that's a big resolution and seems like it requires more of the same filling-up-my-schedule-with-busy-stuff. So before you roll your eyes at me and call me crazy, let me explain the plan. I'm going to implement one new, healthy habit each week over the course of the next year...52 in all. I'm calling it "52 Habits for a Healthy New Year."
So what's this all about? I have set some goals for myself...things I want to change about who I am and what I do, and I'm going to focus on changing one thing at a time. And since it's more fun to do these kinds of things with other people, I'm building a support network. This blog is gonna keep me accountable so I actually do them. :) Maybe you want to do them too. Maybe together we can stay motivated. Maybe we can find inspiration and learn from our triumphs and trials. Maybe we can support one another and make our remaining time on this planet more rewarding, more fulfilling, more peaceful, and...um, healthier. Who's with me?
Love Sarah
P.S. Check back here on January 1st, 2016 to take the first step with me towards a healthier new year.
Join the discussion on my Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/52HealthyHabits/
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[Disclaimer: I started this blog in 2013, but 6 weeks into it I got sick with bronchitis that dragged out for several months and I thought I was either dying or had some other auto-immune disease. I went on antibiotics (twice), a round of steroids, and got a bunch of blood tests done that didn't give me any answers. It put me too far behind in my blogging to catch up again, and the blog has been sitting here on the back burner ever since. This is a reboot.
I really thought I was onto a totally unique, clever idea, until I Googled my title and found out some guy already wrote a book that uses a similar concept. 52 Small Changes: One Year to a Happier, Healthier You, by Brett Blumenthal. Drat. Someone beat me to it. I haven't actually read this guy's book, so I'm not 100% sure, but I'm betting there may be some similarities in content. I'm hoping there will also be some significant differences. One of the most obvious ones is that I'm a woman and he's a man. I'm also a stay-at-home mom. I have my own life experiences, and each person has a unique voice and perspective. Hopefully there won't be too much overlap, and if so, it's completely unintentional.]
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