Resolutions Revolution

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Resolutions RevolutionEvery year I create a list of resolutions for myself and every year I’m disappointed by February. Since we are now a few weeks into 2017, I wonder, how are you faring? Me…I’m doing ok. I have decided to stop with the “only one piece of chocolate a week or run every day” types of resolutions and I’m leaning more towards “be more healthy and streamline my life” types of goals. Even though they are a little more broad, I’m optimistic because it’s the first one in a while that I feel like I’m going to do more than just live through another year, I’m gonna crush it!  

Getting started 

In order to revolutionize your resolutions, you have to decide what you are going to accomplish. I know that I will never run every day, I may not even be able to run three times a week. I can, however, help myself accomplish these goals by signing up for several 5k’s, 10k’s, or even a half marathon throughout the year. I know that I’ll train for each of them because you know that I’m not going to waste that registration fee! I’m too stingy with my money.  

Clear out the clutter

One important way to revolutionize is to clear out the clutter. I get overwhelmed when my purse is messy, and my husband laughs when I tell him that my life is a reflection of my purse. If it’s messy, then I’m messy. Take a few moments to find and conquer those little things that overwhelm you over time. It could be your purse, the junk drawer, or something that needs to be done at work. Twice a year we clean out closets. We keep what we need and any excess goes to friends or charity because a messy closet will drive me crazy. You may feel overwhelmed at the beginning, but you will feel so much better in the long run if you take care of the clutter now.

Sometimes the clutter is more of a people problem. I know that I was allowing several people wear me down and once I allowed myself to stop worrying about what everyone else thought, I was able to live more freely. My grandpa taught me to “not let the little foxes ruin the vine.” Apparently there is a story of a grapevine and the small foxes would take tiny bites of the grapes every day. Eventually half of the grape harvest would be gone. For so long I allowed people to “take tiny bites” out of my self-confidence, self-esteem, and self-image until I didn’t know who I was. Don’t allow yourself to be in that position. Surround yourself with people that believe in you and who support you.

Revolutionize the way that you spend your time

You can also revolutionize how you eat. Several years ago, my husband decided that he wanted to become healthier and start eating a Paleo meal plan.  At first, I was a little overwhelmed; sometimes we would cook different meals for each family member for supper. Now, my husband cooks better than I do, so he was in the kitchen way more than me. But it was still so much work for us and the cost of it all was substantial. I found myself going to the store almost every day because one of us needed something. Talk about wearing us out! I decided to make an effort to eat like my husband and it really helped with not only our budget, but also my sanity and health. And to keep my kids happy, we still have Taco Tuesday…every Tuesday. 

One tool that that has made meal planning and grocery shopping so much easier is an app called eMeals that sends us a list of meals to choose from. You can filter your selections by dietary preferences which is very helpful. Once we figure out which ones we like, it gives us a detailed recipe and shopping list. And while we are talking about grocery shopping, many grocery stores now have online shopping, allowing you to order right from your computer and pickup at a time convenient for you without ever having to get out of the car! While there usually is a fee for this, it’s definitely worth it when you are short on time and I’m sure this could revolutionize your life. 

The last way that I am hoping to revolutionize my life is to spend quality time with my family. I want to experience those that I love and not just sneak peeks of them from behind a screen. By simply taking a walk outside or going to a museum, I just want to make sure that I’m living my best for those who hold my heart.

I challenge you to revolutionize your resolutions this year and find a few ways to help you make 2017 the best year yet. Give yourself time and grace to get it right and when you figure out the best life for you, then you will be crushing your 2017 goals and it will feel amazing!