Have you ever made a great New Year’s Resolution? And actually kept it? Keeping them, that is the tricky thing about making resolutions. I tend to keep mine through January…sometimes longer. Mostly, those resolutions are dreams and unattainable because there is no plan at all as to how to make my dreams my reality.
Not this year…no, this year was different.
Yes, I did make a new goal for my new year!
Yes, I did break it down into a small monthly goal.
I did everything right. I made S.M.A.R.T goals. And I started in December, so my resolution for the New Year already had a running start.
Everything was going fantastic. I had just accomplished my December goal and I was on cloud nine. I set my January goal, and even gave myself the weekends off so that it was more achievable.
I know that the person who shows up for a goal on day one can start to lose energy and momentum as the days turn into weeks, and the weeks turn into months. Knowing this, I made sure to see where my energy level was, and commit to a goal that was easily attainable. I made a truthful assessment and went from there.
And then I slipped.
It wasn’t from lack of trying or wanting to meet my goal. Instead it was from getting sick. I mean really sick, where I wasn’t even out of bed for longer than a quick shower. Standing and sitting up were not really part of the plan. So I made a choice…let my body rest and be OK with it.
I knew that if I had pushed myself, I would have felt worse, so I gave myself grace. I knew that I could recommit to my goal when I felt better. This gave me the freedom to focus on my health and allowed a new balance to fill my week. One of rest and recovery.
Now that I am feeling better, it is time to reassess my goal. I can choose to recommit to my goal and know that I took a break and changed course in complete integrity for what I needed. My body and soul needed to rest, so I let my body tell me when it was time to get back to my goal.
I did not abandon my original goal, instead I am choosing to finish the goal with integrity for January, and set a similar goal for February. I am proving to myself that I am able to finish what I start, and still be honest with my world.
I am showing my kids and family that things don’t always go as planned, and we can always pivot and change to find that path that will lead us to our true self.
Be honest with yourself and true to your values. The Universe will send blessings to you when you are in alignment with your path. You do you!!
You’ve got this!!
Join my Facebook group Women Finding Freedom in Your Feminine Power for more on this journey. We are a fun community of women supporting each other on our journey to find balance and purpose.
Have you been working at home during the pandemic? Or even for part of it?
I have had to change how I work throughout the whole thing...I started out working at home, then I went back to working full time at work, then I was able to work part time at work and part time at home, then we moved to working full time at home again, and now I am working full time at work.
Did that just mess with your head reading it??
How about living it? Are you facing the same things where you work? I know that when things are so out of my control with work, I need to find a way that I can regain some control and find balance in my life.
Here are my 5 tips for how you can find balance as you return to work.
Tip #5-
Get into a regular sleep schedule. That means going to bed at the same time each night...and getting up at the same time everyday.
Even on the weekends!!
I know that can be tricky, but once your body gets into a rhythm, you will start to naturally wake up in the mornings.
Push through those first couple of weeks!
Tip...avoid caffeine after 3pm so that you will naturally be able to fall asleep at night. 3pm is the time I chose for myself, and it works well for me.
Tip #4 -
Move your body everyday! This might seem like I am just preaching to the choir, but when we move our bodies during the day we release natural endorphins. This not only helps keep us more alert as we are working, but it can help create a positive mood.
I know I want to be in a better mood!!
Plus, I want to keep working on my fitness goals. My goal is to work out 5 days a week. Start small and work up to doing more intense workouts.
Tip...Stretching is a way to break up sitting at your desk all day. It will help get the blood flowing. I love to stretch throughout my day.
Tip #3 -
Take a bath!! I love to take a nice warm bath to help me wash away the day. The warmth makes me feel secure and cozy.
Once I relax, I also come up with tons of ideas and I can find things that really make me happy. I love to add some bath salts to really help detoxify and get a real reset after a hard day.
You can take a shower too...and I probably take showers more often, but when I am really looking to find balance, I will fill the tub up and just find a way to melt away my worries by soaking in the warmth!!
Tip #2 -
Listen to your favorite music!
Oh yeah...that means you can really get pumped up or you can calm down. It depends on your mood. If you are getting ready to really dig into a project at work, then maybe some pump you up music is exactly what you need. In the evenings before bed, you might opt for some relaxing music.
Music can really take our moods to a whole new level. Listen to something new to see how you respond to it...Do you like it?
Tip #1 -
Meditate.
I have been on a journey of meditation and really finding my own voice. My meditations help me focus on breathing and find balance during my day.
Meditation is a great way to reduce stress. It can balance your overall emotional health. Meditations are what you make of them...they can be long or short depending on your level and experience. When you start, just do a short meditation to see how it feels.
It is your journey, find what works best for you. Find a way to have some balance and focus on what makes you happy. You do you!!
You’ve got this!!
Join my Facebook group Naturally Chic Moms for more on this journey. We are a fun community of women supporting each other on our journey to find balance and purpose.
Have you ever made a New Year’s resolution, and been so excited about it, only to quit before January was even over?
If you said YES, then you are not alone.
So many of us make resolutions every year, only to find ourselves feeling defeated and unable to keep those resolutions. You might just put them off, and then never really start or maybe you started and then ‘life’ just got busy and they fell by the wayside.
No matter the reason, it happens and it is time for a change.
So this year, instead of making a resolution (that we know we won’t stick to), let’s take an honest look at our lives and set a goal for where you want to be at the end of this year.
Seem overwhelming?
Stop thinking about the ‘how’, and just think about what you want in your life. Do you want to be healthier this year, practice more self-care or even just spend more quality time with your family?
OK, now that you have some ideas for goals let’s make them SMART!
If you work in a career that does any type of goal setting, you might have heard of this.
SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound
Let’s break it down and talk about each part:
Specific: A specific goal is really digging down deep and getting to the nitty gritty of the goal you want. Here is an example of a specific goal, “I want to lose 50 pounds.” In a non-specific goal you might have just said to lose weight.
Measurable: To be measurable, you need to be able to have something that can be quantified. When you say you want to lose 50lbs you can measure that and you know how many more pounds you need to lose to get to your goal.
Attainable: Something that is attainable can be accomplished or achieved. Do people lose 50lbs, and is this something that you can do the work in to do? Making this a realistic goal for you will help you stay on track and meet this goal. Will you be able to do this goal? If you aren’t sure, it is ok to set a smaller goal, and then once you hit your goal you can make another goal.
Relevant: If your goal is to lose 50lbs, you need to stay focused on that, and not deviate. Look at your life, and set your goal based on what is happening with you. Then double check to make sure that it is suitable for your particular purpose. For the example of losing weight, you may want to check in with your medical doctor, in order to really get connected with your goal.
Time-bound: When your goal is time-bound it is a way to keep yourself accountable. When you do this be very specific with what dates you choose. If your ultimate goal is to lose 50lbs by the end of the year, you might even break that up with smaller goals to hit throughout the year. If you take 50 and divide that by 12 months, you will need to lose 4.2 pounds a month. So you could round it up, and have a goal to lose 5lbs a month. That way you have some wiggle room in case some months are a little less.
SMART goals can help you reach your desires and make your goals attainable. It’s ok if you need to set smaller SMART goals, just to prove that you can do this. You can always set a new goal next month or even next week!
You’ve got this!!
