Resolutions

A New Year’s blog is kind of overwhelming. It seems so….important! But it is particularly overwhelming on a New Year’s day when you had a four hour flight delay with your family, your dog had to be picked up from the boarder before it closed at 5pm (4:58 pick up for the win!!), your Christmas decorations were still up and you HAD to put them all away, you had no groceries and a family that needed to be unpacked from a week-long trip.

So I’m writing my New Year’s blog on January 2! It’s a great day! Happy 2018!!!

I also couldn’t decide exactly what to write. I read a few “anti-resolution” posts which I kind of loved – the spirit was “love yourself the way you are” and “you shouldn’t feel the pressure of a new year to change, or feel bad about all the ways you didn’t change in the last year”. I buy both schools of thought.

But I LOVE a new year. It’s a chance to start fresh. Think big. Think different. And approach life with a new lens. What could be more exciting and empowering than 365 days ahead of you? A gift – each year – I do believe this.

And the thematic of this blog is Redefining. And the best way to redefine is through growth. And the best way to grow – I believe – is through focus and thoughtfulness and active choice. Isn’t life more grand if you live with intention vs going day-to-day and wondering where the time went? 

I was also inspired by a writer – new to me – Neil Gaiman. I read a quote of his on Facebook and loved it.

So I searched for other Neil wisdom and found this quote, which I also loved.

And finally, one MORE Neil quote – which I will share with my kids, because I love it.

So with this magical inspiration from Neil Gaiman, who I don’t know from Adam as they say, but wow, do I like what he has to say…here are my Resolutions for 2018. Experts say you’re 70% more likely to commit to a resolution if you write it down and share it with someone to help hold you accountable, so if a few of you read this, I think I’m destined to have a great year. 

A disclaimer – these will read a bit – or a lot – selfish. I’m OK with that. I know I, like I’m guessing most of you, devote so much of myself to family and work, a little – or a lot – of selfishness – is a really good thing once in awhile.

2018 Resolutions 

1. Seek wisdom and learning every single day. This was a great lesson from 2017. From having a dedicated reading list this summer to seeking inspiration from mentors and other leaders, I was reminded this year of how much fun learning can be. A fountain of youth for all of us to take advantage of. When you learn, you grow. And when you grow, you become better, smarter, and more interesting in this world. So this coming year, I will read. A lot. Mostly books, but also articles that catch my eye. I will try to read less social media (my feeds are getting garbled with ads and crap it seems) and garbage gossip (my go-to when bored with an extra 5 minutes). There is wisdom and inspiration literally everywhere – we just have to pause – see it – and embrace it.
2. Embrace audacious and dangerous dreams and create each day with intention. I have a friend whose voicemail ends with “Create a great day!” It’s so true, isn’t it? Isn’t each day an opportunity to create something magical? Or beloved? Or surprising? And if not, why not? Don’t we have – to some degree – control over how we approach each day? Whether it’s a plan for action and accomplishment or pure relaxation, each day is our own to create something great. This year I want to embrace the notion of seeking opportunities to surprise myself. As the years go by, I think this is more important than ever. Try something new. Don’t shy away from challenge or risk or potential reward. Surprise yourself. What a beautiful goal.
3. Make time and space for inspiration and creation. This blog was an effort to do something – for me – that I love, this year. And it’s been very rewarding. I’ve realized I really do love to write. Most of all in my own voice and with my own thoughts, outside of work projects. I’ve also found it is hard to make time for it. Not just for writing, but also for opening my mind and eyes to inspiration. One of the things I first loved about this blog was that it gave me a present reminder to look around. Seek inspiration. Find something worth sharing. It’s a very cool way to live. In the coming year, I want more, more, and more. More inspiration. More creation. More me time – because I love it.
4. Make myself a priority. Earn a spot on the family calendar. What does it take to earn a spot on the family calendar? My kids have many spots on the calendar, daily. From school to appointments to sports practices and games to driver’s ed and more – it’s a busy calendar. For some reason, my work-outs and social plans rarely make it on the family calendar. And then – often get scrapped for other family commitments that come up. So this is the year where I earn my spot on the family calendar. Whether it’s work-outs, fun, date nights, or whatever – my activities matter. Each family member should have an equal spot on the family calendar, right? I know many parents take great pride in the sacrifices we all make for our kids. Do we really need to? I’m going to embrace that my kids will love knowing (someday at least) their mom took care of herself, had passions outside of them, and lived life fully. For me, I actually think it makes me a better mom.
5. Build my dream home. The big remodel is underway and it’s easy to get overwhelmed with all kinds of ideas and advice. So much of it is helpful. Some of it is distracting. And all together, it could make your head spin. There is advice to play it safe. There is advice to go bold. There is advice on top things to avoid. And things every kitchen/bathroom/master must have. I am committed to building my dream house. Inspired by a lot, but ultimately my own vision. A place for me and my family. And I will fight the temptation to embrace advice (even if it is amazing!) that doesn’t map to what I want. It’s a great lesson in trusting your gut, trying to love the process, and ultimately – hopefully – the end result.
6. Run a marathon. This is long over-due. As a lifelong runner, it’s ridiculous that I have never run a marathon. I’ve run 22 miles in training for a marathon, but the marathon (NYC!) was cancelled at the last minute due to a hurricane, and I still haven’t done one. So this is the year. For real. The NYC Marathon sign-up is on January 15th – I have it marked on my calendar. Ready for action. It’s hard to get in, so I will either need to get creative or choose another option. My back-up plan is the Big Sur marathon in late April. It’s beautiful, but hilly. But this is my year. There are steps I need to take to help prevent injury (I have a cranky IT band), so I need to buckle down, prioritize, and make it happen. On this one, it will be an exercise in setting aside my competitive nature as a long-ago competitive runner and just seek completion. Bucket list. Check.
7. Schedule fun and frequently seek new experiences. Well, this one couldn’t sound more lame, but a gal’s gotta do what a gal’s gotta do. Between work and family, for years I have gotten to the week-end and either thought “whew, I’m really happy to put on sweats, drink a glass of wine, and relax” or “these kids need to go to these destinations, carpool, host sleepover, etc” or “huh, I really should plan something fun in advance because here we are, with no plans.” And then I enjoy holiday parties, Macklemore concerts, great dinners with friends, and realize it really is not that hard. Plan fun. Make dates with friends. Book them on the calendar like I do school dances or basketball tournaments. There are great restaurants to try, bands to hear, hikes to explore, and nights out with friends all waiting for me. All I need to do is schedule them.
8. Take memorable trips with people I love. This may not be a big adventure year for me, although who knows what the year will bring? But I do know of several trips I intend to take in the next 4 months to see the sun with my husband, enjoy spring break with my family, and a few girl trips I’ve discussed with people I love (book club takes Vegas part 2! and an overdue girls trip with my mom and sisters). I’ve found when it comes to taking memorable trips the key is booking them. Sounds simple, right? Not really – this is where great ideas can never happen. You have to have the idea, then book it. Commit. Once you book it, you’re doing it. And you’ll have an amazing time.
9. Live fearlessly. I love this concept. How great can life be if we live without fear? Without worrying about missed opportunities or missteps? Or what will people think? We all get this one, very short life. And shouldn’t we make the most of it? This is a tough one for me to wholeheartedly commit to, but I am going to really try. I love the freedom of not running from the possibility of making mistakes, but running forward with the goal of experience, learning, and possibility.

So that’s nine resolutions, in no particular order, for 2018. I’m sure there will be more I should add. I’m sure there will be a few here that don’t get tackled. But I’m going to try.

And it occurs to me – how incredibly lucky and blessed I am – to have the opportunity to have these resolutions. I have friends fighting tough battles – health, economic, family, etc. – who likely need all of their energy for survival. I love you friends and I’m here for you.

But this year, because believe me, I know it can change ever-so-quickly, I am fortunate to have a clean slate awaiting my resolutions.

And I intend to run toward 2018 with renewed energy, passion, audacious goals, and fearlessness, while seeking learning, surprise and laughter. I hope you can too.