Did you make your New Year's Resolutions? I did. Kind of. I know the new year is about starting fresh. But really, can't we do that anytime of the year? I feel Madonna-esque... like I'm constantly doing it, constantly trying to re-invent myself. At any rate, I've jotted down a few things of which I hope to improve upon this year.
Jenni's Resolutions:
1. Stop putting time & effort into relationships where I receive nothing in return. I've had this in place for about the past two years, and it has been amazing! It has opened up my eyes immensely as to who really should be in my life & who shouldn't.
2. Stop being a door mat. I can be feisty in my own ways, but also love to please people. In the end, it's ME who pays for the nights where I get no sleep because I'm up doing things for other people. Granted, I always enjoy helping people (who doesn't?) -- but I'm going to be better about saying NO, and being taken advantage of.
3. Gaining confidence. It's easy to look at someone else & be intimidated by them. They're smarter, they dress better, they have it all together, they're more talented. But, looks can be deceiving. Everyone is fighting their own battle. Many times, what things look like on the outside aren't any indication of what's really going on inside. I'm going to stop letting "outward appearances" intimidate me.
4. Trying new things. I'm in a rut. Food-wise, routine-wise, life-wise. I'm a creature of comfort, and find it hard to step outside of my comfort zone. That's going to change! Well, I'm going to "try" to change... Pinterest has opened my eyes to SO many new things! New recipes, new ways to decorate, organization... anything you can think of. I even have the kids onboard for trying new things! The other night, we all got on Pinterest and looked for new meal ideas. We were ALL practically drooling. So, I'm making it a point to try a new recipe each week. I'm even considering blogging about it -- for the 3 people who actually read this blog. Hi Grandma! ;)
5. Business Building. I want to grow my photo business, but want to be smart about it at the same time. I realize I'm only one person, and again, love to please people. But what I learned this past year is that while trying to please everyone & take as many pictures as I could, I ran out of hours in the day. Between sports, spouse's erratic work schedules, my free time (ha!) and life... I about made myself crazy. This year will have an added twist with a deployment, which will leave me as a single parent for a little over two months. That being said, I need to set a fixed amount of pictures that I can take each week/month & leave it at that. I will not travel as much for shoots (due to lack of childcare), and I also need to raise my prices so I'm not working for peanuts! I love what I do, but my time is worth money as well.
6. Be more crafty. I have an entire closet full of craft items. It mocks me each time I open the door. "Remember me? I'm from trip #46 into Hobby Lobby when you picked me up thinking you'd whip me out in a couple of hours..." My sewing machine has a nice layer of dust on it. My scrapbook bins have dust on them. My paints have dust on them. Again, I blame Pinterest. So many craft ideas. So little time... ;)
7. Decorate my house. See #6. We've been in this house a little over 3 years, and I still haven't painted all of the walls. It still looks like we just moved in! Oh well. Baby steps, right?
8. Read more. Whether it be for learning or for pleasure, I LOVE to read... yet I hardly ever take the time to do it. Michael Crichton is my favorite author -- I devour his books, and was so sad when he passed away. I got his new book "Micro" for Christmas, and have started reading it.
9. Laugh more. Live more. Love more. I'm going to try not to take things so seriously. I'm going to try to step out of my comfort zone. I'm going to try to spend more quality time with my family.
10. Find my own happiness. One of my very best friends has this quote in her house, and I need it as well. We all hold the keys to this... it's just finding the right one. Do you ever feel like you have the janitor key ring & you can't find it? Ya, me either. ;)
11. Blog more. Both for my business and for me. I'd like to become a better writer. This is good practice. ;) Add this to my new culinary adventures (whether they're flops or fantastic), others can come along for the adventure. Maybe I'll add some craftiness in there as well. And organization? Well, that's ALWAYS a work in progress. I wasn't born one of those people who has it all together. I'm organized in certain aspects of my life, but would like to be in more ways -- and want things to look "just so". Maybe if I write about it, it will force me to actually DO it!
12. Take more Pilates classes. I truly love Pilates. I know, I actually pay people to torture me & my body, but man... I love those classes. My body responds to it. It strengthens my back. It makes me long & lean. I'm not one of those people who loves to sweat, kick things, punch things and leave completely exhausted. I know, I know... I'm not doing it right then. I don't enjoy paying instructors to yell at me! I like relaxed, quiet, slow, painful death... wait, no. I mean I like a more relaxed pace and a calm instructor.
13. Run more. I have to really coax myself into doing this, and I'm really not sure why. I love how I feel after I run, yet can think of just about anything else to do besides run. Mike, Ryan & I are signed up for the Indy Mini-Marathon (half marathon) in May, and this of all things, should kick my butt into gear. We'll see. Here's hoping my back is on board & gives me it's blessing. ;) While on the note of running, remember in #12 when I said I like a relaxed pace & calm when doing Pilates? I'm the exact opposite while running. I'm an angry runner. I have to listen to kick-ass music to keep me going. The harder & faster the music & beat, the better. Enter my head-banging teens. I'm a sucker for metal & big-hair bands. I can't give them up! Oh, and rap. I know, it's weird. But it's what motivates me.
14. Take better care of myself. See #'s 12 & 13. I tend to put myself on the back burner. But really, what mom (or dad, for that matter) doesn't? Take Christmas break for example. I hadn't felt well for a few days, yet waited so long to go to the doctor that by the time I went, I had strep AND an ear infection with the start of a second one. Then I let that go (because Christmas & more family visiting entered the picture) when the meds weren't working, and it morphed into those two things with a side order of a sinus infection from HELL. Three different antibiotics & one steroid later, it's finally starting to clear up... almost 3 weeks later. The point to this is that between family staying here, facilitating a class party, shopping for Christmas, getting the house ready for more company, cooking & baking up a storm, trying to be everything to everyone, I went down in the process. I wasn't able to do all of the fun things I had planned on doing with my kiddos. Why? I wasn't taking care of myself & my immune system is now all but non-existent! I need to sleep more, exercise more, eat better and TAKE CARE OF MYSELF! Easier said than done, I know.
I know there are many more things I'd like to improve upon this year. Maybe I'll get to those, maybe I won't. All I know is that I'm not going to beat myself up if I don't get to accomplishing ALL of them. But, I will at least try.
I found this sign on Pinterest yesterday. I'm seriously going to hang this on my bathroom mirror. I think I could use these reminders daily.
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