Thank God That's Over

A quick note: To all three of my faithful readers, please accept my apologies for my long absence. With a busy holiday season and six differeent family functions to attend, I had very little to say that was actually interesting to read time to write. I hope you will forgive me and keep reading anyway. My (blogging) New Year's Resolution is to post at least 2 to 3 times each week. And by telling all three of you this, I now have an obligation to live up to that goal. :)


Well, I have to say I'm really glad it's 2009. Anybody else? I wouldn't trade the memories of my first year as a mom and all that comes with it, but the rest of 2008 can bite me.

Now that 2008 [finally, thank God, hallelujah, praise your deity of choice] is over, many of us find ourselves feeling a little reflective. I think it's a result of the way most of the world is taught to think about our lives: that they are, relatively, very short, and that our brief time on this planet is all we get, and we have to make the most of it. (I know not everyone believes this, but this is not a religious/spiritual blog. If you want to read and discuss spirituality, go here.)

So as the end of each year approaches, all of a sudden we realize, "Crap! What the hell did I accomplish this year?" And right then and there we decide: "Next year will be different. Next year I'm gonna stick to that diet/hit the gym every day/spend more time with my family/be a better person." Take your pick.

For me, I could never pick just one. There was always too much about myself that I wanted to change. I would write out a detailed plan for my perfect life in 19__ or 20__. And I would inevitably fail. Perfect doesn't exist.

So this year, I'm posing a challenge to myself: I'm only going to make one resolution this year. And I'm going to keep it. As of today, January 1, 2009, I hereby resolve to organize my house once and for all. I am going to start slowly, take it step by step and work through my apartment, and then expand my newfound organizational skills to include a calendar (paying all my bills on time and always knowing when we have doctors' visits -- what a concept!). Then I'll go from there.

Sure, I have other changes I want to make -- eat healier, exercise at all more, and (let's be honest here) work on my marriage. But I'm not going to magically turn into the person I want to be today, or any New Year's Day for that matter. Change takes time, and patience, and pacing oneself, so that one isn't tempted to try for perfection. And if I begin by organizing my house into a home -- and maintaining it -- I'll have more time to spend on my family (and myself).

I invite you to also challenge yourself to make only one resolution this year, and keep it. Don't overwhelm yourself. Oh, and let me know what your resolutions are in the comments below!

Goodbye 2008, and good riddance!


Thanks to FlyLady for the wisdom on organization. If you too struggle with organization, I encourage you to check out her site. She has some great insights on how easy it is to get sidetracked, perfectionistic, and overwhelmed--and how to overcome it!