Now that we’re all getting in the swing of things with fall officially at our finger tips, even us Floridians are getting a taste. It’s time to begin thinking about the approaching holiday season (it can’t possibly be here already can it?) Panic aside, it’s gotten me thinking about many things. More than shopping, decorating, festive meal planning and mistletoeing– it’s gotten me thinking about changes. Thinking about the future and past promises. Promises I made to myself, to my family, to my body.
I hate to just brush past Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas because I’m a sucker for all things holiday. But this post is specific about the New Year and the ever taboo “New Year resolutions.” Now, I’m normally not big on NY resolutions. In fact I’ve never actually legitimately followed through with any of the silly pacts I made for myself for longer than a month or two, which is quite pitiful really. Most of the time they were so out of touch that it was a more of a joke to even believe them in the first place. Am I alone in this?
Last year, however, I wanted to do this for real. Not for show or for accolades from friends. I legitimately wanted to set goals I could actually achieve. Goals that could actually make an impact on my life. I jotted a list of small tasks to focus on in the new year. Not “lose 20 pounds” or “create world peace” types of goals– instead, reasonable aspirations that were feasible.
This vary list, I created right before the first of the year. Just eight simple “resolutions” if you will. Believe it or not, these 8 things have all made impacts on my year. One of them in particular, I found to be the most impactful and I’m certain it’s going to shock you.
Can you guess which one was the biggest difference maker?? Here’s a hint. It’s not running 4 times a week or hitting 10k steps a day. Believe it or not, it has nothing to do with fitness at all.
Oddly enough the one thing on this list that really made significant impact this past year, was, drum roll please…… making my bed. Wait what? That’s it? Seems silly right!? What does making your bed have to do with anything? Actually, a lot and I’ll tell you why.
I was never good at this small seemingly simple task. It was never something that actually mattered to me, or felt like it was necessary. I figured I’d be crawling right back in to that vary bed later that day anyway. It was a waste of energy and time, I thought. I’ve already got a million things on my plate in the morning getting two toddlers ready, making my bed certainly was not on the top of the priority list.
However, I decided to try to be one of “those people,” who woke up and made their bed pretty everyday and not just because company was coming over, but simply for me and my husband to appreciate. People who made their beds always seemed like people that had their {stuff} together. With effortlessly clean homes and tidy closets. Why couldn’t I be that girl. So I gave it a go. You know what?? I couldn’t believe how simple it was. Why on earth was I too lazy to spend 2 extra minutes to make my bed each morning. Even if it was just for me to enjoy, it felt good.
This tiny mundane task creates momentum in the day. It ignites the energy to tackle other tasks in your day thus creating a snowball effect. Once my bed is clean and neat, I’m then heading to the laundry to throw a load in, then so on and so forth… the cycle continues throughout the day. It generates a positive tone in your day to do other things with more intention, big or small all just beginning the day with one small task complete, a bed made ✔️.
It also creates a blissful place to come home to and rest your head. Who doesn’t love coming home to a tranquil clean place. Especially after a day of stress and chaos, it’s so nice to return to a place of peace, your personal sanctuary. This may seem like a complete load of bull to you, but I promise, there is something to be said about crawling in to a freshly made bed at night.
If you haven’t listened to admiral William McRavens speech to the students of University of Texas, on making your bed, do yourself a favor and listen to it. It’s incredibly powerful and inspiring. One quote in particular he states that I found moving is:
“If you can’t do the little things right, you’ll never be able to do the big things right”
We so often lose sight of how important small things can be. Taking your daily walks around the block, changing the oil in your car, mammograms or yearly dental checkups– small simple things that in the end can cause a lot of havoc in our life if we neglect them. If we can’t do those small tasks correctly then when big things come along like decisions that can impact our jobs, or parenting or major financial choices we could really be in a world of hurt. Something as simple as making your bed truly can impact change and you don’t have to be a trained solider to benefit from them.
I also believe your mood is significantly triggered by your surroundings. If your bedroom and home is a disorderly mess it actually will create more stress. It’s overwhelming to see a messy bed and disorganization, am I right? We spend 1/3 of our life in our bed and bedroom which clearly can have a significant impact on our wellbeing, so why not put some pride in to your space.
Okay, okay I’ll end it there with the bed thing. But I dare you not to be a little bit curious to see how it can impact your day if your not already a “bed maker.”
As for the rest of my 2018 resolutions; I’m happy to report all have been great successes this year. Even though I really emphasized the bed making I think all made an impact on my life in one way or another.
Drink more h20, I mean no brainer right?
Less screen time– equals more time present with my family and friends. Sadly, this one is harder than you think, but always a work in progress. There always seems to be a reason to give your phone a quick peek. There’s always a cute IG story instance or hello, photo ops! because obviously we need 20+ photos of our kids at the park or playing dress up, true or false? I will say, iPhones new “screen time” feature has been really useful to monitor my usage. Plus it shows you where you are spending your time on your phone. Social media, work, blog, texts etc. it’s helpful!
Hit 10k steps a day— this one i’d say I accomplish 6/7 days a week. BUT most days I average 15k+ steps a day so I count that as a win for the week and makes up for my lack there of, one day.
Run 4 times a week– This is a pretty average number for me. I have been pretty consistent with getting in this many or more runs a week. With the exception of a couple weeks here and there due to weather and schedule. Most of the time however I try to sneak in a workout video in lieu of a run.
Put on real clothes 4 times a week– (not sure why I kept choosing 4 days, but it felt right at the time, achievable I suppose.) This one may sound silly to those boss moms who go to work everyday and get to wear the cute little blazers and sassy outfits. But for some of us stay at home mommas, it can be a real struggle to actually put on something other than yoga pants, a tee shirt and a top knot. Especially when I tend to workout at 3pm, it seems like a waste of energy to get dressed to get back in to workout clothes a mere 7 hours later. But, just like the bed thing, it sets the tone of the day. If you wake up put on a cute outfit, a little makeup you actually do feel better. More polished, more put together and ready to take on the day!
Travel to a new place– Hello Ireland! (…and DC and Maryland) It’s no secret I love to travel. Whether it’s near or far, there’s so much to be seen in this world and I don’t want to waste a minute not seeing it. Ireland was a trip I’ll never forget and already can’t wait to go back. I still want to do an entire post on travels here because I’ve go so much to say on it and to recommend. Stay tuned for that! I think traveling is the best way to learn about the world. To really get a tangible feel of what other cultures are like, how they eat, how they interact, how they work. More than internet searches and Instagram pictures, the real deal experience. I can’t wait to see where my next adventure takes me.
Say NO, more– This one I really dove in to on a past blog post, but I strongly believe in prioritizing time for freedom. Being such a yes man, I’ve really had to learn to say no to things in order to create time for more spontaneity. There is nothing more freeing than having a plan-less weekend in my opinion. Yes, I love hanging with my peeps and doing fun group things. But! There is also something to be said about choosing what your weekend looks like. Freedom to just wing it!
2018 brought lots of small intentional changes in my life. Real attainable goals I actually stuck to and will continue to stick to. With the new year on the cusp I’m excited to drum up new intentions that I can accomplish in the new year.
What are some past resolutions you set and actually stuck to? What are some that you didn’t stick to? Finally, what are some goals you want to prioritize this coming year?
sunshinestateofmine 