Without making sweeping generalizations, I think it’s safe to say that most women are good at nurturing. Whether they’re taking care of their kids, their husband or their cat, women are seemingly always doing for others. It’s in our DNA. One of my resolutions for 2010 was to put ME on the list.
In the past 12 years or so, I was focused on taking care of the kids and The Ex, as any good mother and wife does. But I forgot me. I didn’t make the list. Not nearly enough. Last year, I changed that… and was so much better for it. A better me. A better mom. A better everything. So last night, when a friend asked me about my New Years’ resolutions, my answer was simple. More of the same.
As women, we need to give ourselves permission to be on our list. To make us a priority. We’re always so busy taking care of everyone and everything else. What about us? Whether it’s making time to exercise regularly, sit down with a cup of coffee and a good book or treat ourselves to a manicure, we need to be on the list. That’s not to say that you need to stop taking care of others. Far from it. We just need to focus on making ourselves just as important. After all, if you go down, the whole darn ship goes down with it.
Last year, I made going to the gym uber-important, and reaped the rewards for it. It was a bit of a juggle trying to fit everything in and budget-wise, but it worked out. This year? Much of the same. That endorphine blast that kicks in at the end of a work-out makes it totally and 100% worth it. There is nothing like it. And this year, the gym routine continues, now more than ever.
How else do I make myself a priority? I’ve always loved journaling and writing. Last year, I bought a notebook in January and started filling it with quotes I liked, affirmations, aspirations, goals and dreams. This year? Much of the same. Madeline and I went out at lunchtime to get this year’s notebook and, of course, she needed her own too. Mine was a pretty pastel flowered cover. Hers? A shocking green frog. Both make us happy. And as I go through 2011 and jot down things that inspire me and goals I hope to accomplish, it will be a wonderfully reflective journal to look back on at the end of the year … to see how far I’ve come.
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