If you're anything like me, you are tickled pink when a new year rolls around. It's a new beginning, a fresh start, a clean slate . . . you get to be whoever you want to be this year. A few months ago, I purchased and began reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, which is a darling story of her year of resolutions and how she carries them over each month. I have always been a huge resolutions girl, but I forget about them quickly. Until this year . . .
My plan was to begin my own Happiness Project, but that just adds another item to my to-do list that is already spilling over onto multiple pages. With the intent of beginning one, I started a small little list of what I struggled with every single day . . . those faults of mine that I do day in and day out, and feel guilty about day in and day out. I came up with my top five faults. The things that interfere with my own happiness. And I realized I better simply stay put and tackle these incredibly challenging tasks. For your reading pleasure:
1. Be a mother and "wife" first. Well, I'm no one's wife, but you all know of a certain charming, amazing man whom I play that role with. This one means, if I can comfortably put something off to spend time with the shorties or Joe, I do.
2. Act the way you want to feel. I stole this one from The Happiness Project, but it jumped out at me so much because it's something that has worked soooo well for me. If I'm grumpy or feeling antsy for no particular reason, I put on my happy face and it always catches. When you're happy, I think it makes others around you happy as well, so you bounce it off each other.
3. Finish the task you started. I am the girl that re-washes the laundry because I forget to put it in the dryer, re-starts the dryer three times to delay folding it, and leaves a nasty dish to soak for a good four days before I believe it's capable of being scrubbed and cleaned. But doing these things and knowing there's unfinished laundry and that there's a big soaking pot in the way in the kitchen always overwhelms me and gets in the way of me being productive.
4. Be patient. Okay, hands down, the biggest change I've experienced so far. It is my mantra in the morning when I wake up. Stay patient and stay calm today . . . everything will get done, no one will be late, don't let the girls slow-moving bodies in the morning frustrate you. Learning to stay calm and patient is the most incredible feeling in the world . . .
5. Say what you mean and mean what you say. This is kind of a collaboration of everything . . . being patient, finishing what I start, being loving and attentive to my family, and aiming for more laughter and happiness even if I'm not really in the mood.
So there you have it . . . an all new Mo for 2011 is waiting for you! ;) And just for kicks, here are my little lollipop kids, who got a timed 5 minutes to lick away at these big boys before pajamas and a good teeth brushing :)
(taken with our handy dandy Panasonic Lumix)
I hope everyone's new year is off to an amazing start!
Hello, beautiful cousin! I feel like I haven't been here in so long. I love your definition of "faults" as things that get in the way of our own happiness. It's a nice way to change things in your life without beating yourself up. I'm currently still in the thinking stages of my own 2011 goals, but I'll put them on the blog once I figure it out. xoxoxo
ReplyDelete