I, for one, am not exactly sure into which camp I fall. Part of me would like to balk and say, "We make them and never keep them, so why bother?" The other part of me would like to say, "Why would we shun an opportunity to set goals and work towards self-improvement?" The latter half wins...if only for the sake of this blog post.
Here are just a few of the things I'm resolving to do this year, along with a little schpiel about each:
Resolution #1
Get our house to a "status quo" and instill the entire family with the expectation that it should be maintained.
P and I are messy. I admit it. I'm (probably, maybe, just a little) worse than he is, but I'm also better at cleaning up after everyone else! The kids are messy because they are kids. Our daughter, A (10 years old), is the least messy. She's great at organizing and putting things in their place. She just isn't good at keeping it that way. K (almost 15 years old) is slightly messy, but he is very amenable to cleaning and organizing when asked to do so. N (13 years old on Saturday) has the messiest room and has been known to pay A to help him clean it. He's a man after my own heart. Hey, if you don't like doing something or aren't very good at it, hire someone who is! That being said, I do have help from a wonderful woman who keeps me from being buried by an avalanche from the mountain of laundry that we create each week and the kitchen mess from swallowing me up alive. I love this woman because she takes care of us and keeps me sane. If anyone needs a great Mother's Helper, she is always looking for a few extra hours of work! But, we are still plagued by counter tops full of mail and paperwork from school, random "stuff" thrown onto the dining room table, shoes, backpacks, sweatshirts, cups, and other random objects scattered hither and to. Is "hither and to" really a saying or did I just make that up? So, I'd like to put some organizational practices in place and set expectations. "Hey everyone, here is where we put the mail and here is where your school stuff should go. Backpacks and shoes should immediately go into your rooms after school. This is what the house should look like (without the mess just hidden away in bags and in closets and on top of the fridge because people are coming over)! Let's all work together to keep it that way!" All of that was said with a Mary Poppins accent, by the way. "A spoonful of sugar" really does "help the medicine go down!"
Resolution #2
Say "No, but thank you for the opportunity" more often and not feel badly or angry afterwards.
I have recently learned to do the first part of this resolution, but I need to do it more often. I severely need to work on the second part. For instance, very recently, I did not accept a volunteer position working on development/fundraising work. Why? Because that's what I get paid to do. Instead, I offered to help with another aspect of the organization. That felt great. I'll be able to do something that really interests me, will fulfill me, and use skills outside of my career skill set. But, I still feel kind of icky about turning it down and I'm concerned that they won't find someone else who is willing and/or able to take it on. I'd like to work on letting that worry go! Another example is a potential client who wanted to pay me an amount that I was not comfortable with for some writing/editing work. I sent her my hourly rates and even offered her a discount, but ultimately, we were not able to work together. It was my choice. I turned down her low ball offer and I felt great for knowing "my value" but I hated having to turn down a client (especially one who was referred to me by a friend).
Shameless plug: Robbins Nonprofit Solutions and Consulting loves referrals! All potential nonprofit clients get a 1-hour consultation for free and my fee structure depends on the organization's total budget. Also, I will only let an organization hire me if I think that my work with them will lead to them raising a lot more money than my services cost.
Resolution #3
Walk 20 miles per week.
I'm saying "walk" but I might run, or jog, or even frolic. I'm not following a training schedule and I'm not doing a race at the end. Please, please, please, please, please, DO NOT ask me to do a race. I DO NOT do races. I'm just walking a lot. I'm not counting the walks I take with Flash, unless it's a longer walk than usual. I will (mostly) be walking on my treadmill and I tend to mix up the speeds and the incline. This will not be my only workout. I may workout at the YMCA when I want to add weights or try a class. 20 miles a weeks seems like a manageable number and I promise to listen to my body, take rest days, amp up the miles when I feel great, and take it easy when I feel tired. Ok, ok...I'd like to do a half marathon, but no 5Ks or 10Ks.
I'm proud to have a family resolution, a business-related resolution, and a fitness resolution!
Oh, I'd also like to try and blog at least twice a month. Hold me to that, readers!
Happy New Year and best wishes on all of your resolutions!
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