BlogMAS Week 5! New Year, New You. New Me? New Who?

Welcome back to BlogMAS! 

This will be the last BlogMAS blog post, as well as the last blog post of 2019! 

I just want to start off by saying thank you to everyone who has supported my blog this year and I hope to continue to bring great content in 2020 and maybe some new things too! 

I hope everyone had a very MERRY Christmas! 

I hope you were able to spend valuable time with family, friends, and all those you hold dear. 

Now that Christmas is over...(literally the most horrible time of the year for me! I don’t want it to end!!)

I know what everyone is thinking...New Year, New Me! Right?!

No matter what your goals, resolutions, and aspirations might be for the New Year...OWN it! 

There is absolutely nothing wrong with a growth mindset! We should all try to grow in some way, shape, or form in the New Year. After all, it is a new start! 

For this BlogMAS blog post, I wanted to share with you, my New Year goals. 

I am refraining from referring to them as resolutions. Why? Well...

The term resolution means; a firm decision to do or not to do something. It is a formal expression of opinion or intention.

The term goal, on the other hand, means; the object of a person's ambition or effort. It is an aimed or desired result. It is an idea of the future or desired result that a person or group of people envisions, plans, and commits to achieve. 

To many people, the words resolution and goal may seem to be the same. But as you can see, they are quite different. I am referring to my New Years Resolutions as Goals because for me they are more than just decisions to change or intentions to change. For me, my goals are something that I desire. My goals will require effort and planning. I must commit to achieving these goals I have set for myself, or instead, they will become good intentions (resolutions).

So let's dive in and discuss my goals for the New Year. I hope that you will see my goals and in some way, they will help inspire you to set goals for yourself as well. If we do not grow, change, and challenge ourselves, we will become stuck and stagnant. Never moving, never changing, never growing.

2020 Goals

1. Weightloss- Yes...I know what you are all thinking..."Here we go, another New year, New Me, bandwagon groupie." Losing weight is one of the #1 resolutions that people make each new year. And sadly, many people are back to there same old, unhealthy habits by February 1st. Well, since pregnancy and having my daughter...my weight has fluctuated greatly. My eating habits are very unhealthy and exercise has not been a priority. Not to mention, the reflection in the mirror is not one that I enjoy seeing and to say that "I am not self-conscious of my body" would be a lie. Weightloss weighs heavy on my mind and affects me greatly daily. I have to make a change for my physical well-being but also for my mental well-being. In 2020, my goal may read "weightloss" but my focus will be more than just weight loss. 

• I plan to focus on eating healthier, wholesome, home-cooked (prepped) meals. 
• I plan to drink 6-8, 8oz glasses of water daily because I have failed to do so miserably
• I plan to exercise at least 5 days a week, doing activities I enjoy and that I can do with my husband and daughter...or even a friend.
• I plan to make good choices when eating out.
• I will not focus on the number on the scale so much that that becomes my priority. But instead, focus on my overall health.

So you see, it isn't just about reaching a certain number on the scale or fitting into a certain pair of jeans. For me, I want to make changes that benefit my overall physical and mental health. I want to make changes that will result in me feeling less like an 80-year-old woman and more like the 28-year old that I am. I want to make changes that my daughter can see and look up to and even follow. I want to have a healthy mindset and positive outlets to reduce stress levels and negative thoughts/feelings. To do all this, I have to be precise with the changes I plan to make, I have to be consistent, I have to be determined, and lastly, I have to be patient! 

2. Mental Health- I know I mentioned mental health in my first goal, pertaining to weight loss, but I really want to make positive mental health a goal for 2020 because as a wife, mom, and teacher, I am constantly putting the needs of others before my own. I don't want to stop being a wife, mom, or teacher, but in 2020 I want to find ways to use my time wisely and make time for myself and things that I enjoy. I plan to practice self-care and focus on personal growth.

• I plan to consistently read devotionals and start journaling
• I plan to read more. I've always loved to read but have not done so since my daughter was born. I want to make time for my own love of reading in addition to fostering my daughter's love for reading. 
•  I plan to practice self-love. I plan to be patient with myself as I strive to make serious changes. I plan to learn to love myself where I am as well as love myself through the journey of becoming who I want to be. 
• Finally, I plan to take more time for just me. Whether it be by myself or with friends. I am going to allow myself more breaks for "me time". 

3. Find my faith again...- This goal is more personal and something that has also been weighing heavy on me for quite some time. I have somehow lost sight of my faith. I have been through a personal struggle this past year and the one thing I know I can count on, I have ran from. I can't say why. But I want to find my way back in 2020. I want to rekindle my spirit and my faith and draw closer to the one who I know is in control of all. For this goal, I plan to...

• I plan to read my bible more, along with daily devotions.
• I plan to pray more...really pray and talk to God.
• Finally, I plan to trust Him with my life and stop trying to control the things I can't and stop trying to do every thing on my own. 

You may notice a pattern in these 3 goals that I have set for the New Year. I have really been struggling this past year. So much change and not enough time to react and respond to the change. Since the birth of my daughter, my life has seemed to be a whirlwind. Everything just seems to be spiraling out of control around me. I am the type of person who to an extent is controlling. Especially when it comes to my life and the people and things I love. So 2019, has been a hard year for me. I don't want to go as far as saying I am depressed or have been...but I can't say that I haven't experienced moments of depression. I constantly feel stressed. It's time to come out of this rut and find my self. In 2020, I'm setting goals to grow my body, mind, and spirit! I hope you will find growth in the New Year too. This blog post was more personal and I hope it can be used to reach someone else who may have felt a similar way in 2019. From my family to yours, Happy New Year!

Thank you for reading this blog post and others.

Thank you for the continued support and I look forward to hearing from you in the New Year. 

xoxo