I sat down to write this post so many times. An entry about all my resolutions for the new year and all the things I wanted to accomplish, both personally and professionally. I planned to post it during the final days of 2014.
The champagne has been popped and the confetti has been thrown. Here we are, Jan 12th, 2015… what took me so long?
There were floods of resolutions in my IG feed the past two weeks, everything from loosing 10 pounds to reading more books. After a few long walks and a lot of reflecting, I realized this post was delayed because my feelings about resolutions have changed. After 33 years I have decided that I don’t want to make a single resolution. Why give myself the added pressure? Why feel guilty every time I miss a workout, eat a donut or look at the book I still haven’t cracked that’s been sitting on my desk for months. Forget resolutions! Here’s what I am doing instead:
I am setting a single intention to be happy for 2015.
I have learned that happiness is not found at a final destination, it is enjoyed throughout a journey. It’s been proven that people experience the most happiness and enjoyment while they progress through the steps of achieving a goal, rather than at the end when they finally achieve it. I don’t want to live my life making resolutions and setting goals just waiting to be happy when I finally achieve them. I want to enjoy each moment in my life and make daily choices to be happy. Of course, some days it seems harder to be happy than others. So, here are three things that will help me to find happiness in each day:
1. Be present with the ones around me so that I can truly experience happy moments with them. So often I find myself “multi-tasking” and trying to do too many things at once. (I’m SO guilty of nursing and checking emails on my iphone at the same time). When I slow down and focus my attention on one thing at one time I am able to enjoy the moment and just be happy.
2. Be patient with myself. I am a new mom, who’s low on sleep, high on emotion and trying to continue to run my business while looking after my little one. I have to remember to go easy on myself because I am doing the best I can. When the day seems tough I must remember to give myself a chance to breathe (three big deep breathes to be exact) and then find happiness in the situation and continue on my day with gratitude.
3. Reflect and write my happy moments down daily in a journal. This will give me the opportunity to “track” all of the happiness in my life and allow me to be grateful for all the happy moments I experience. It’s also a great reminder for those dark days when you need a pick me up. Just open up your journal and read about all the happy things that have happened the past few months. Just thinking about it makes me happy.
“When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down ‘happy’. They told me I didn’t understand the assignment, and I told them they didn’t understand life.”
- John Lennon
Wishing you nothing but happiness in the year ahead. Happy 2015!
Did you make any resolutions (or lack their of) this year? Setting any intentions in 2015? I would love to hear what they are. Leave me a comment below!
Jen
January 12, 2015
I love this. Happiness is everything. It’s easy to forget when we are so busy always trying to catch up with lives that always seem too full of to-do’s without enough pure mental space for relaxed moments and long snuggles. I think writing down 3 things I’m grateful for everyday will help me appreciate the moments this year. Journal time! xo
January 14, 2015
Cher,
Thank you so much for your thoughtful response. Journal writing has been a huge part of my life the past year. My husband and I started writing to each other each night and it has made a world of difference in our relationship. I think writing down three things you are grateful for is a great idea and will help you to appreciate all the beauty in your life. Maybe it’s something that you can start doing as a family? Getting our children involved and looking at the world a little differently. Happy 2015!
January 14, 2015
I really appreciate this blog post. This year I have been feeling very similar. For as long as I can remember my resolutions have been mostly focused on weightloss or changing something about myself and never succeeding. This year for the first time I realized I had no desire to make any resolutions. I even agreed to follow the Whole 30 just because I was asked to by a family member. Three days in I became very aware that I am no longer fixated on weightloss and achieving perfection. I am so relieved that I have finally reached a point a point in my life where I am not obsessed with my physical self anymore. My goal for 2015 is to maintain this self satisfaction.
January 14, 2015
Sarah,
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. You are more than enough!! A physical appearance is only a very small part of who we are. I am so happy to hear that you have surpassed that struggle and are able to focus on more important things in your life. It really is a struggle for so many, including myself. Especially since I am in a new “physical” state after having my first child 2 months ago.
Wishing you nothing but the absolute best for a very happy and self satisfying year ahead! XO