About Sweetmama Editor
Nadine Silverthorne’s love of journaling began in Grade One with the entry, “I am the greatest dancer!” Two babies (and countless diaper changes) later, she has found her home away from home as editor of SweetMama. Don’t miss her humorous bi-weekly accounts of the joys and pains of working while raising them fabulous.
Not Resolutions, but Revolutions
silver spoons canada
(Jan.11.10)
While most people set their resolutions on the first day of the year, I tend to ease myself into it. I don't set anything hard and fast, merely take stock of what I'm not too happy with -- like really make a mental note of it -- and then see what happens in the first two weeks.
Then I find other "starts to a new year" within the year to re-evaluate: Chinese New Year, the first buds of Spring, the first day of school -- if it has a start date, it counts. (It also gives me a chance to start again if I've failed, without being too hard on myself.)
My good friend Deanna has taken to calling them New Year's Revolutions and I quite like that. It gives the feeling that your whole world could turn around, hopefully in a good way. I've decided that 2010 will be my year to finally grow up. Here's my progress so far with my "improving my life" goals.
1. I brought my lunch to work every day, save the one day I met a friend for lunch as a treat. (Have saved around $30 in the process.)
2. I ate lunch in the boardroom instead of my desk, most days with some of my lovely colleagues who are taking my lead on this.
3. I swore I would make a stronger effort to get the kids to bed (and myself out of their room) by no later than 8PM. But, um, er... I think we know who is running the ship. Must continue to work on that.
4. I signed up for yoga class at 7:30PM from my laptop and still made it to the 8:15PM class with time to spare. Yes, I was procrastinating/contemplating not doing it. Yes, my husband gave me that gentle nudge that he's so good at. Yes, I was extremely sore the next day.
5. No-go on the nail-biting (same broken resolution every year). Should I consider hypnotherapy? This is a bad habit that has spanned two decades now.
6. I signed my kids up for music class so we could do something together that doesn't involve me saying, "Just a minute, Mommy's got to send this email."
7. I have made zero-point-zero changes to my diet. I vowed that the sweets at Sweetspot wouldn't get me, but my chocolate drawer has been replenished and I am a weak, weak woman.
8. I've decided to take more notes on how to live from my kids. My son just learned the year for the first time in his life. It gets reinforced every time he puts on his Olympic mittens. "Two-Thousand and TEN!" I have been trying to muster the same fervour for the new decade that he seems to have, while also enjoying a bit of the "no fuss, just fun" attitude of my little girl.
So how's it going so far for you?
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