Resolutions and Thoughts on Never Giving Up

I'm not really into New Year's Resolutions. At least not in the formal aspect of it all. I pretty much never make them. But this year, I made a huge list of goals for the coming year. Included in that mile long list is to start blogging regularly again. I miss it. It's just easy to just let it slide once you haven't for a while.

{On Aria: Thrifted vintage sweater, vintage dress from fuzzymama on Etsy, striped legwarmers knit by my mom, and leather baby mocs from Kaboogie.}

It's the thirteenth day of January and I figured I had better get started if I want it to count. So here we go...

I'm quite rusty at this whole thing so it'll probably take me a while to 'warm up' again but, lately, I've been doing a lot of contemplating on what it means to give up and what it means to keep going.

I started on a health journey with my doc's guidance (my chiropractor) after Aria was born last year. I've been ever so slowly dropping the weight over the past 8 months and have just about reached my prepregnancy weight. Not my ideal or my goal weight but my prepregnancy weight.

I have been so unhealthy and out of shape for so long that I knew it wouldn't be a cake-walk to get back into shape. There have been ups and downs. And I've struggled to implement a habit of daily exercise again. --In spite of finally starting and keeping one before I got pregnant with Aria. But I haven't been able to consistently start back up again ever since I was laid up with Hyperemesis Gravidarum in the beginning of my pregnancy (Fall of 2011).

But I'm not giving up. I will keep trying every day. Even if it takes me a little longer than I'd like, I will get healthy. (I say 'healthy' because just being 'thin' isn't my goal.)

I just never dreamt it would be as hard as it has been. I cut out almost all sugar and grains for the first 7 months. The weight just trickled off after the initial drop that I got when I quit sugar and grains so sometimes I feel frustrated about that because as anyone knows who enjoys sweets and grains as much as I did, it's *hard* to not eat them. But I was and am very dedicated to this. So I just keep on trucking. (I hope to blog more about my health journey if I can get back into the habit of blogging again.) I feel very fortunate to have such a supporting husband through it all though. Whenever I'm feeling frustrated or I get down about it, he's always so quick with encouraging words and an optimistic perspective to keep me on track. I couldn't do this without him.

I've been working on my loft this winter. It overlooks our living room and it's pretty much been our 'storage' room all these years of living in this under-construction-home. And every year I say it's going to be cleared out so we can use it as an art space and for homeschool. Mark calls it my "lifetime project" since it's been something I've started and stopped - and talked about getting organized - for years.

But this is the year. It's far more cleared out than it's ever been. (i.e. You can see the floor.) I've got a bunch of metal locker cupboards situated up there as well as some bookshelves and old suitcases full of arts and craft supplies. And the boxes that are left up there are boxes full of vintage clothes to list in the junk shop - and some odds and ends I need to put somewhere else. It's getting there... One more thing that's taken far longer than anticipated - but also something I've never given up on. It will be done one day and I can't wait to use it to make art up there!

I believe that if you keep going. Even when you stumble and fall. And you never quit - the things you want to happen will happen. You just have to keep going. Keep fighting. Oh, and think positive thoughts. That part is really important, too.

The New Year lit a fire in me. And I hope to keep that flame burning. I was a little down with the blues at Christmas time and I'm still working through that - but feeling much better. So it feels nice to make a list of goals and begin working toward them.

Comments

[Lynn]

Aria is a little cutie pie and getting so big! You just hang in there girl - I know you can get results if you keep at it slowly but surely

I'm with you on the weight thing, too - it's so much easier just to stay the same and so much harder to lose. I'm making some small changes right now as that's all I feel I can do but am determined that this is the year to make some progress! Hang in there!

[Amanda]

Aria's getting so big!! Cutie!!

[Joanna]

"The New Year lit a fire in me." Me, too, Jennifer. Me, too.