It’s January again. Christmas has come and gone. New Year’s Day is over. This is about the time we all forget those oh-so-important New Year’s resolutions we made 28 days ago. It’s the same thing, different year. Why is it that we make such a big deal about the promises we make ourselves, yet have no follow through? How is it that year after year, we promise to do better, to be better and somehow we end up at the beginning of another year unchanged? Simple: WE ARE LAZY!
I know, that was hard to swallow. I am the first one to admit my laziness. To be honest, the first 3 months I was home with my newborn, I did nothing but sit on the couch and binge-watch How I Met Your Mother and Desperate Housewives, while stuffing my face with Pringles and Coke. I had been so motivated when I was big and pregnant. I couldn’t wait to start exercising again and getting back into my clothes…back to myself. Yet, here we are, almost 11 months post-baby and I am not back to myself. However, I have finally decided to take control of my life and change. I am now stay-at-home mom to a fully mobile child, with a household to take care of. No more lazy days. I have responsibilities now.
In my efforts to become a better person, (**insert Master of Disguise voice**) I have decided to share a few of the tools that are helping me to be accountable to my New Year’s resolutions. Hopefully, we can stick together on this and encourage and motivate one another.
First, if you are not following Clean Mama on Facebook and Pinterest, DO IT! She is incredible. She has tons of printable lists and helpful hits to keep your household clean and together. I got a bunch of free printables from her website.
If you don’t get anything else, print this! It gives you a big chore to do every day of the week, that way you don’t get overwhelmed and you can stay on top of cleaning.
Spring Cleaning Checklist. This will be very important here in a few months when spring gets here!
I admit it. I HATE water! But again in an effort to be more fit, I am doing my best to drink 4 bottles of water a day (equivalent to 8 glasses). I do, however, use Kool-Aid water-enhancing drops to hide the actual water taste (bleh!) but good news, it really has nothing in it! This is a great way to keep track.
On top of being lazy, I am terrible with money. However, now that I’m not working, I’m in charge of the checkbook (funny, huh?). Got a little one, so it’s time to save some money. We try every year to save money but somehow end the year with a massive credit card bill. This year, I’m resolving to try to get ahead of the game. I found this on Pinterest but I’d heard about it on Facebook the last few years.
It starts small but if you can stick with it, you can save $1378 by the end of the year. Even if you can’t stick with it the whole year, you can still save a good chunk of money. This week is Week 4, so it’s definitely not to late to get started.
As far as fitness goes, this is a never-ending battle with an infant. Seems like I can never find time to exercise. Unfortunately, this has led to getting up earlier than I ever cared to but after working out in the morning, my entire day is more energized and I really get motivated to get things done.
I discovered Tone It Up 2 years ago and I am absolutely hooked! In addition to their website, they have tons of free YouTube videos and even an app. The great thing is the workouts are geared towards women and how we exercise. Just check it out, try a video and see for yourself. I love it!
I know not everyone is a runner or even likes to run. However, we all know that cardio is the key to weight loss and overall fitness. This is the chart I used to prepare for my first 5K a few years ago. Since my pregnancy, I’ve had to start over but it is a great way to get yourself acclimated to running. Plus, it’s great for the treadmill, which is what I use. I also downloaded the app GymBoss, which is a running timer to keep track of your walking and running intervals.
Lastly, we can’t forget about our spiritual fitness. This is a major struggle in my life – devotions. Again, it all boils down to time. The thing is, if there is anything we need to make time for, it is God. I recently watched Courageous (from the makers of Fireproof) – two great movies that you definitely need to see, both of which have books to go along with the movies. I have started reading Resolutions For Women by Priscilla Shirer (here’s the link). It is inspirational, encouraging and motivating. A must read. Also, to touch on Fireproof’s book, The Love Dare by Alex & Stephen Kendrick (here’s the link), I absolutely recommend it to every single married couple in the world. There are no words to describe what is can do for your relationship with your spouse. Give it a chance. I promise you won’t be disappointed.
Here’s to a new year with new possibilities. Here’s to trying to better ourselves and be happier. Not only will I try to curb my lazy ways, I will strive to get fit, healthy and most importantly, to cherish every moment. Life goes by so fast, we can miss it. I have learned this hard lesson from the last year of being a parent. So, Carpe Diem! Let’s take over our lives and have an amazing year!
Life As We Know It 