So Wake Me Up When It's All Over

♫ When I'm wiser and I'm older
All this time I was finding myself and I didn't know I was lost♫

With the best intentions, we make lists of resolutions that we fully intend to keep in the new year. We are 16 days into 2019, and I bet many people have already started to realize they may have set the bar too high. All the excitement they felt leading up to January 1st is now turning into disappointment, dread, and self-shaming. If you are feeling this way, you are not alone. I found myself in this scenario many times. Eventually, I said, 

"Screw it! I'm not making resolutions anymore!" 

I needed to step away from all the hype of New Year's Resolutions. I already had too many things on my plate. I don't know why I ever thought that adding more to my list was a good idea!?!

But now, as a woman in her mid-30's (thanks 2018!), I'm older and wiser than I was 10 years ago. I can look back and realize that I was too hard on myself. I can also look beyond the disappointment of failed resolutions and recognize the value in having them.

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When you unwrap the package of
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"NEW YEAR, NEW YOU!"

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and lift the burden that if you slip up, you have to throw the whole thing out the window!

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New Year's Resolutions are just #GOALS

So, this year I decided to make some meaningful and manageable resolutions.

Be present (and put the phone down!!)

I have a love-hate relationship with social media. I love being able to connect with people I wouldn't be able to otherwise. (I'm looking at YOU #musicteachersofinstagram) I also love that I can "see" family and friends more than I can in real life. I hate that we've become somewhat content to not connect in real life as much because social media allows us to "know what's going on in their lives". Even when I was posting multiple times a day on social media and posting "real, unfiltered" pics of my life, it was not the whole picture. I miss real conversations. 

Also, I realized that social media consumed waaaay too much of my time. I would be on my phone every chance I got to make sure I didn't miss a post or to see if someone commented on my post. But what really got me were the articles that popped up on Facebook. Something in my feed would catch my eye and the next thing you know, I've spent 30 minutes reading an article that had little to do with the picture and caption I initially clicked on. So, I'm taking a break from Facebook. It's only been a few weeks, but I am thankful for the time I've gotten back. Not swiping through a busy news feed all the time has had some other benefits. It's helped me focus. First of all, I'm not consumed by phone anymore, so I am able to give other things and people my attention. I feel like my mind is not as busy, and I'm able to process things better. I even have more patience! #truestory

Make time for 1:1 time with my boys

I would love to go on Mommy-Son dates with each of my 3 boys this year. But the ultimate goal is to find windows of time each day to spend with them, one on one. This was already happening with my youngest at bedtime because he goes to bed first. Now I'm trying to be more intentional about our time together, so our bedtime routine lasts a little longer (and there are even more snuggles!) It's a little trickier with my older sons. We're going non-stop from morning until night, and after my youngest is in bed, we're all exhausted. I started having my oldest son do his homework in the kitchen so I can help him while I make dinner. My middle son is my helper. So I try to take him with me when I need to run errands. He loves to help, I love having his help, and we can spend time together.

Write more

I love writing! Writing songs, writing blog posts, writing to friends...but I get so caught up in other things that I end up not making the time. So this year, I'm going to make time. I don't know how much I'm going to write. I didn't set a specific goal of how many songs I want to write or how often to update this blog. (btw, sorry that it's been 4 months since my last post...) I just want to write more. 

Being in God's Word consistently

Many times I have tried and failed at reading through the Bible in a year. I've jumped back on the Bible-In-A-Year plan for 2019, but this time I have a new attitude. I know that I will not be able to read every designated passage every day. In fact, I've already messed that up multiple times since January 1. But, whether I'm reading my Bible on my couch or listening to it on the commute to school, I'm trying to spend time in God's word daily. And if I miss a day, I give myself grace and try to catch up over the next couple of days. No pressure, no condemnation. 

That's it. My 4 Simple New Year's Resolutions for 2019. And as a bonus, I'll share with you my #wordoftheyear

grace

♫ I tried carrying the weight of the world, but I only have two hands
I hope I get the chance to travel the world, but I don't have any plans
I wish I could stay forever this young, not afraid to close my eyes
Life's a game made for everyone, and LOVE is the prize♫
-Avicii

♫ ♥ Ashley