Preparing for 2014

(Did you forget that I have a blog?  I think I did for a while.  Oops!)

I never think about New Year's resolutions until after Christmas festivities.

First, let me say that a resolution always makes me nervous.  Something I have to commit to for a whole year?  What if I don't like it?  Then I'm either 1) miserable or 2) a quitter.  Hmm...  Neither of those give me the "happy" vibe.  Plus, I don't like resolutions like "dieting" or "working out."  I feel like those are things I should do every year.  And I usually gain more weight on the years that "dieting" is my resolution -- go figure that out for me, please.

So, here's what I'm thinking.  I'm going for 2014 Goals.

Goal #1: Slow down a bit.
I teach and with that comes a whole host of responsibilities.  I haven't done well with making time for things other than teaching.  Well, teaching and my family.  Granted, when I have a husband and son this adorable, why wouldn't I take time for them?

So, my typical day is that I get home at 5 and put E to bed around 7:30 and then I work again until 9 or 10 at night.  On the weekends I usually work while Emmitt is napping and again when he is already asleep for the night. That doesn't leave much time for anything else. My first goal is slow down a bit and make time for more than just work -- to make time for my husband, my son, my friends and family.

Goal #2:  Rebuild friendships.
I want to go on more dates with my husband.  I want to have more weekend trips to visit friends out of town.  I want to meet up with the girls for coffee or (don't tell my husband) shopping.  Due to being so busy this past semester, I haven't been a very proactive friend.  Friendships aren't going to last forever if I don't make time for them.

Goal #3: Make time for me.
Little things to big things, I need to make more time for me.  Working during every spare moment doesn't help me be the best mom or wife I can be.  It leads to stress which my family doesn't need. Whether it's making an appointment at the salon or finding time to go the gym, I need to make a little more time for me.  Guilt about being away from Emmitt has kept from making a lot of choices since I started back to work in July (5 weeks earlier than expected).  I'm not talking extravagant. I'm talking things that motivate me (like a Zumba class at the gym) or help me unwind (such as a beauty appointment). Or even things that help me to just enjoy the pace of everyday life -- blogging, for example.

So, those are my goals.  After all that, I do actually have a New Year's resolution, but I'll save that for a different post.

Thanks for reading!
~Stephanie, the Rookie Mom