2020

I know that you're not supposed to make resolutions anymore. We're just supposed to be present or something instead of making goals that are unlikely to be achieved. But I think this time of year is a good time to "reset." To see what worked vs. what didn't work, to notice where sin was left unchecked and to look for areas that could use growth. And I know from the outset that I won't complete all of my resolutions - some of them aren't even measurable. But I like to jot down areas I want to grow, and the ways I intend to achieve that.

That said, here's an update on last year's resolutions

• Read one non-fiction book a month (fail - I think I read 4 or 5)
• Read Harry Potter (So many of my friends from all walks of life rave about this series. I'm finally going to give it a try.) (SUCCESS!)
• Do something about Lucy's diet - starting with actually reading the book I had the library buy, checked out for 6 weeks, and never read a word of [affiliate link] (I read half of that book, but didn't do much beyond that)
• Stick to the budget (fail - we spent more than we made this year 🤦)
• Less screen time for all (I'm having a really hard time coming up with a concrete plan to implement this.) (fail)
• Make everyone eat dinner at the table (better than before, but still not great)
• Require more from my kids regarding chores and responsibility (nope)
• Be more consistent in disciplining Levi (nope - he's a spoiled rotten terror)
• Potty train Levi, transition him into a big boy bed, and take away his Binky (😭) (2/3!)
• Enforce bed time (school kind of forced this!)
• Get my hearing tested (what?! . . . fail)
• For homeschooling: read aloud more, focus on getting Lena to read fluently, make sure Lucy masters her times tables (SUCCESS! . . . in a roundabout way. lol)
• Buy a house (SUCCESS!)

So here are my goals for 2020:

• Read through the Bible. I was convicted in 2019 about my priorities and the need to truly spend time in God's Word. I bought myself this One Year Bible to help me implement this plan. I've never read the Bible chronologically, but I've always wanted to. And I'm excited to read it in the NLT version. Sometimes, when the wording is so familiar, I tend to gloss over it. If it's phrased just a little bit differently, it will hold my attention better. (Hopefully.)

• Read less. I would guess that's a very uncommon resolution, and it pains me to even type it, but I think it needs to be done. Fiction has become an idol and a crutch in my life. It's an unhealthy escape. And it causes me to neglect my kids, husband, and responsibilities. 

• Spend less time on my phone. I am simultaneously overwhelmingly lazy and incredibly restless. I never want to get off my couch, but I can't just sit there with nothing to do. I must be entertained at all times. Enter the smartphone: endless access to the Internet, Kindle app, Words with Friends, Spades, Yahtzee, Pinterest, email, Snapchat, etc. It's also another way that I neglect my kids. Are you sensing a theme?

• Spend more time with my kids. Now that they're back at school, we obviously spend much less time together. And if I'm honest, I park Levi in front of the TV way too often while the girls are at school. I'm going to be more intentional about the time I spend with Levi during school hours, and the time I spend with the girls after school and on weekends. 

• Yet again: less screen time for the kids. I learned this year that I have an abnormally strong aversion to conflict. I've always known that I lack conflict resolution skills, but I'm discovering the lengths I'll go to avoid it altogether. I realized this year, that that extends to my kids. I'm not strict enough and I let them get away with too much because I don't want to deal with the conflict that results from telling them no. Wowza. I let them do wayyyy too much screen time because then I don't have to entertain them, I don't have to listen to them whine, I don't have to break up fight after fight after fight. I can do what I want without interruptions. And I know that all hell would break loose were I to announce that we're going to cut back significantly on screen time. 😭

• Similarly, work harder on the kids' eating habits. For at least two years, we've tried the "eat it or starve" technique at dinner time. As a result, my kids have learned to fill up at lunch, and eat a hearty snack after school because they do not eat dinner. They won't eat spaghetti or sloppy joes or potatoes or tacos or anything that most kids eat with abandon. They survive almost solely on pizza, macaroni, and hot dogs. This has to end. So I'm starting a new tactic this year: one bite (of mom's choosing) before you can get down from the table. At least for January. In February, it's going to become 2 bites, March 3 bites and so on. I anticipate a flood of tears, lots of screaming, maybe even some puking. Lucy, especially, will be spending many hours at the table. Maybe I'll just replace screen time with dinner time. 🤷

• Lose some weight. Whether that's through diet, exercise, or a medication change remains to be seen. We're going to Florida in 3 weeks, so I'm abstaining from Dr Pepper until then at least. And I might try to implement some of the 2B Mindset philosophies of water first, veggies most, less carbs and sugar overall. I just can't keep gaining weight at the rate that I have been!

• Do Couch25k with Lucy. I've tried it a few times in the past and never made it far, but maybe if I'm doing it for more than just myself, I'll have more success. I really want to be a runner, I just don't want to do the work to become one. 🤣 Lucy and I are both extremely sedentary, so I'm going to do my best to make her do it with me. It will probably involve a hefty bribe. (And we're not starting 'til spring because running in winter is stupid.)

There you have it. Stay tuned!