Now that we are almost half way into 2018 it’s time to insure that the rest of your year is going to continue to be the best year yet! We all make resolutions in January and to be honest, a lot of mine are already forgotten. It’s just so hard to keep up with “New Years Resolutions” when life is just… LIFE. Things get lost and days get tough and work and family and blah blah blah. There are a ton of excuses and genuine reasons why our resolutions are long forgotten but this year I’m going to try to do a few things here and there that make my year one to remember!!
Declutter
OK OK, don’t exit out of the post quite yet, I promise they aren’t all this bad!! I know decluttering is boring and bland but y’all, hear me out! Take it from someone who HATES… no, LOATHES to declutter. I am seriously missing that part of my DNA where I like to clean things up. I tell myself that I do well in chaos but I’m starting to think that is just an excuse. Because I absolutely love going to hotels and resorts that are pristine and minimalistic and clutter free! It just feels so refreshing! And I also love hosting guests in my home who surely feel the same way so 2018 is the year I try to make my guest room and living spaces feel more like a clutter free resort for my guests! I always stress out when company is about to come over and I’m RUSHING around to clean and make it look decent for them so instead of adding that stress to my life I am going to start spending a few minutes each day decluttering a different space. I do a small load of laundry each day because a mountain of laundry is daunting. If it’s a small load it’s easy to fold and put away in no time! I also do a very small load of dishes each morning. Just empty the dishes while drinking your coffee in the morning and then spend the day filling the dishwasher back up and start a small load each night before bed. Simple enough! There are so many other ways you can do a little at a time to make a big impact! Let me know your favorite ways to declutter your space in the comments!
Plan a trip
See, I told you it wouldn’t be all bad! Now is the time to get a fall trip on the calendar! I think it’s important to take small mental health trips when possible to clear your mind and recharge after summer! I don’t know about you but I have 2 kids who have a very good time in the summer and when they go back to school I have a mixture of sadness that they are leaving me and EXTREME GRATITUDE THAT I CAN FINALLY RELAX A BIT. (Did I say that out loud?). Yes, it’s true. My kids are my world and I do what I can to make their summers amazing and memorable but I am not mad when they go back to school, y’all! I try to do one final trip as a family at the end of summer to get them excited for the school year and help recharge their minds! If you don’t have kids it’s still SO important to get out of the summer groove and get back into the working mainframe after a fun filled summer!
Listen to your body
I don’t know about you, but when I set a goal to “drink more water” or “go to the gym 5 days a week” or “stop eating sugar” I always crash and burn. I am just the type of person that doesn’t do well with strict rules because lets be honest… rules are meant to be broken, right?? I find that I do a lot better when I take a few minutes throughout the day to be still, close my eyes, and just listen to my body. I just FEEL better when I drink more water. And I SLEEP better when I work out a few times a week. (not 5 days a week… because who has time for that??) You all know by now that being the best mom I an be is the most important thing to me so I know that eating right and drinking enough water help me have energy to put towards my children! When I’ve had a stressful day and maybe forget to eat lunch and live off Diet Coke all day, I am SO grumpy when I get home! And that’s not fair to little people who don’t understand that your day was hard. They just think you are mad at them or that you don’t want to play with them and that isn’t fair. SO this year I’m listening to my body, if my body wants cake, I’m eating a small piece of cake! And if I feel better after working out a couple days a week, that’s what I’m making time for.
Say YES to as many things as you can
I’m shocked by how many people are giving advice to “say no to things” these days. I think there needs to be more context around that! Yes, it’s important to, again, listen to your body and not overdo it… but my motto in life has always been to SAY YES whenever it’s possible. Because you never know when you’ll meet someone special, have a conversation that advances your career, learn something new that you never thought you’d learn, or make a memory with someone special! When my kids want to go hiking through the woods.. but I’d rather sit on the couch with some ice cream… guess what? I say YES to them because I know we can make a memory and do something fun together. (if they wanted to do drugs and spray paint the entire house….. don’t say yes. See, fine line.) If someone invites you to coffee for a networking meeting, ALWAYS SAY YES. Because you never know what you will learn or what connections you will make that will help you down the line!!
I hope some of those things help to motivate you to make the second half of 2018 as good as the first!!
XO, Lauren
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