the new year resolutions I'm NOT making...

Time has come for our New Years' Resolution(s)!

If you have a personality like me, this is a death sentence for actually setting and achieving any goals. I work best going by inspiration and instinct, and setting short term goals in chunks are so much easier to accomplish. This is especially true as I've become the mother and keeper of three small children, and a shower, much less an exercise routine, isn't guaranteed every day.

In light of this year I am not making specific New Years' Resolutions. Instead, I'm going to continue feeling out each day as it comes and seeing what self-care I can fit in and what I need to leave on the back burner. You may be reading this and dreading my life. That would be OK! Or, you may be doing a happy dance inside because you're not alone!

Here are five common resolutions that I am NOT making:

1. Get Fit and/or Do Yoga Every Day

Running around with small kids gives me an advantage, as I barely sit down some days. And I love yoga. In a class. Where I have to get dressed, leave the house, show up on time, and put away everything else for an hour and have someone else correct my unimpressive downward dog. It isn't going to happen at home. I can count on one hand the times I did yoga in my living room last year. Not for lack of wanting to! I'm such that I need to a) pay money so I'm accountable and b) leave the house. Unless we get rich and I can hire a nanny every day, this is really not happening. I'll take classes as they fit into our family schedule and really, really enjoy them.

2. Meal Plan and Save Money on Groceries

OK, I'm trying on this one. I want to master the menu plan. But, see, why have chicken on Thursday when you can have chili and cornbread instead? I try to plan and do my best but if I can bring down our grocery budget and flexi-plan, I'll be very satisfied. Sites I like for meal planning help or inspiration is Don't Waste the Crumbs, Deliciously Organic, Nourishing Gourmet and Once Upon a Chef!

3. Lose the Baby Weight

This isn't a bad goal to make and I realize I come from a privileged place here, because I don't have a lot to lose. In fact, Andy asked me if I wanted to do a free month of CrossFit with him. I said No. The bottom line is that I am not making as much milk as I did with the girls and I eat basically enough to sustain what I have. If I add on intense exercise, I don't want to have to pick up the slack (eating, resting, etc.) in the other areas of my life. Some might call that laziness, but I call it Being Realistic and taking care of myself. Maybe later this year, but not right now.

4. Get Organized

Sigh. I'm just embracing this part of me. My house is not very cluttered (barring December, that month was chaotic with two back to back trips and I barely unpacked), except for my kitchen mudroom desk area and sometimes the kitchen counters and then our room, which is very small, as we haven't quite figured out how to best store our clothes. But the picture in my mind of an all-white house immaculately curated with barely anything inside is completely unattainable. And I'm sentimental. I WANT to keep your Christmas card up all year, so I can think about you when I see it! The William Morris saying, "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful" well, I can make a case for 95% of the things in my house to be useful (for reminding me of someone or something) and beautiful (because it reminds me of something or someone!) The other 5% I can work on.

The most I am going to require of myself is keeping track of bills, business receipts, and actual outside commitments. The rest can be tackled as inspiration hits. I picked up a new 2015 planner from the Target $1 bin and I'm calling it GOOD!

5. Drink Less.

One word: WHY?

So those are the New Year's Resolutions I'm not touching with a ten foot pole this year, unless I feel like it (classic ENFP). Not that any of these are bad, or that setting resolutions is an automatic failure. Some people excel! If you've set these goals, I am rooting for you and want you to be successful! But for me, this will end in guilt and failure. However, I did make one really awesome resolution that I MIGHT be able to achieve and one resolution I KNOW I can be better at:

1. Go to Bed Earlier.
2. Give More Hugs.

Happy New Year!

Share with me your resolutions! Or your un-resolutions! Just because I'm not making them doesn't mean I don't love to hear about your plans...I love plans.