Since 2012, I’ve had a tradition of using my blog to share my New Year’s Resolutions, so I figured I’d continue the trend this year.
(Also, if you’re interested, here are my 2017, 2016, 2015, 2013, and 2012 resolutions. I guess I took 2014 off!)
In past years, I’ve adopted various themes for my resolutions, and this year I thought I’d go with a version a friend of mine posted to a parenting group I’m a part of on Facebook. Here was part of her post:
“I read an article that had 10 alternatives to New Year’s resolutions. One that jumped out at me was to pick a word or phrase as a theme/goal for the year.”
Huh. I like this idea. And then, when I started thinking about it, picking just one theme was a little tough (but in a good way that made me focus a bit more intentionally).
I landed on the theme of “Maggie’s watching,” which I hope will be a reminder to me to be the kind of person I want my daughter to have as a mother. I love being a mama, and delight in Maggie, and I want to make sure I’m living my life in such a way that makes me as best a role model to her as I can be.
Because “Maggie’s watching…”:
- I want her to see me be quick to laugh, to take time to dance in the kitchen, and to sing often.
- I want her to see me be kind to myself: to eat well and move often, but also to not talk negatively about how I look.
- I want her to see me be patient: with drivers while I’m on the road, with others when they don’t do things just the way I’d have done them, with her when she’s just being a little person and all that comes with that, and most importantly with myself when I fall short of the inevitably high expectations I set for myself.
- I want her to see me put my family first, always. Even though I certainly keep busy — and thrive in a go, go, go environment — I want there to be no mistaking that Maggie and Kevin are always, always, always my top priority.
- I want her to see me set big goals (and then work really hard to reach them).
- I want her to see me be accepting — to create an atmosphere in which she feels able to grow into whoever she needs to be.
- I want her to see me be content with the things I have, and keeping my spending in check.
- I want her to see me love my life. Really, really love it, and lean into it, and be present in it as much as possible. I’m ridiculously fortunate, and I want her to know she’s a huge part of that.
Cheers to a great 2018!