Most people make New Year's resolutions and we hardly expect anyone to keep them after February 1st. Thus, I have a bit of angst with the term. Every year after Christmas is over and the decorations have been taken down, I feel a since of newness. The house looks clean and simple. I feel like I have clean slate in terms of my projects list. It feels like a fresh start, new year or not, which forces me to reflect a bit on what I would like work on.
Last year, I told myself that I was going to start saying "no" more. The previous year had left me with a pile of half finished projects and I desperately needed something to keep me on task. I decided I wasn't going to commit to everything others asked me to do. This didn't mean I was going turn everything down, just be a little more realistic about what I'm capable of. I had started making clothing to sell on Etsy, started a bible study that I could hardly make it to with sharing a car with my husband, moved into a new house, and became pregnant with our second. In the end, I quit making clothes and quit the bible study.
After last year's reflection I feel I was pretty successful in my new goal. I didn't start any project I couldn't finish and didn't commit to anything I couldn't follow through on. It feels awesome!
Here are a few things I had to tell myself "no" about just in this month alone!
First of all I will tell you that we will be moving across the country in about 2 1/2 weeks.. For Ethum's 3rd birthday party, next weekend, I wanted to make party hats, sew twenty or so napkins (both of which he would never know the difference, much less care that Mommy had made them herself) and I said I would not start packing until after the party. I said "NO" to all of those things and what a relief to myself! Also, I had planned to stock-up my Etsy shop with new vintage goods but instead I closed my shop until after the move. What is the deal with this self-imposed stress?? I'm so glad that I have found the value of letting myself off the hook. (the photo above is an afghan that will be in my shop this spring.)
This New Year's non-resolution is sort of an extension of last year's. I want to work on being realistic about my time. At the end of the day, I often feel that my to-do list is only half finished. I attribute this to planning far too much in one day. I need to re-evaluate my time and only plan a day's worth of work per day, which will in turn make me feel a lot better about my productivity. The other thing I want to work on is making more plans with friends. I can be pretty terrible about making the initiative. I guess this goal will take on a whole new form since we are moving to a state where I know not a soul. And the last thing is to stop worrying about the house being immaculate anytime we have a visitor- it just isn't realistic.
SO, as you are reflecting and re-evaluating your goals, be realistic.
-Amanda
It sounds like you need to get a cold, Amanda.
ReplyDeleteI, too, am terrible about initiating spending time with friends!! Maybe this is why we still need to meet. ha. (And I know we've already "met", but... you get it)
What a great reminder, Amanda. Will be praying for you as you continue to say no! Remember God gives us just enough grace to handle what HE has put in our day.
ReplyDeleteHey little mama! I've had a huge problem with my inability to say "no" to people too. It's still a work in progress but it's definitely a lot better : ) I'm glad you had a full year of being successful and keeping yourself healthy in that way. It's hard work, huh?
ReplyDeleteOn a side note, I like your blog design! I should probably invest in someone designing mine for me. Would you say its worth it?
m( elanie), thank you!! I couldn't actually say if its worth it as I had this custom design from the get-go so I can't speak to whether or not it has caused an increase in traffic or followers. does that make sense? Although, from peeping at your blog, it appears that you are far more capable than I at designing your own!
ReplyDeleteI stopped making new year's resolutions ages ago. it just got too depressing... but this year I chose some words to hopefully guide me through he year (attitude & patience). I wonder if this will work better, even though it turns out that even to remind two simple workds in your day-to-day life is can be difficult.
ReplyDeletegood luck with your more realistic life :)
Yes! This is me! I can't wait to hear your move went well. We're about three weeks out from one ourselves and even though we have the Army packing us up, it's stressing me out a bit.
ReplyDeleteYour blog is beautiful! Thanks for sharing it!