2018. The year of fulfillment.

Do you all make New Year’s Resolutions? Normally, my answer would be no. And I think that steams from years of making resolutions like “Eat healthy. Loose 10 pounds. Be a better Mom. Be Present. Grow my business. The end.” See why that hasn’t really worked in the past? I seriously pull random thoughts of of the sky that I would LOVE to do, but there is no ‘why’ behind them. Yes, I would love to eat well and be a better Mom, but with out action, it’s pointless to say. That’s why I’m not big on resolutions. For me, there is no follow through. No finish line. No fulfillment.

A fun thing happened to me in 2017. I think I may have hit my breaking point (that doesn’t sound fun, but stick with me!). For those of you don’t know me personally- I’m a wife, a mom of 2 (one in elementary and one in preschool 3 days a week), the caretaker of my family and I run two businesses from my home. At any given point, I felt like I was being pulled in 6 different directions. Some days I felt so overwhelmed that I couldn’t even pinpoint the things that were weighing on me, I just felt like I was drowning. Everything felt like it was spinning out of control, I just needed everything to stop just so I could catch a breath and get on top of it all again. I doubt many of you noticed, because I’m pretty good at pretending like I have everything together (something I plan to work on in 2018).

In October on a whim I finally gave in to my kids weekly request to go to the library after school (taking a 5 year old boy to a place where quiet is the #1 rule, seemed like a mountain I didn’t want to climb). That day, we checked out books, we all survived, and we went back the next week. And then the next and the next. That’s when I started picking up books for myself; Lies Women Believe; And The Truth That Sets Them Free, Present Over Perfect, Make It Happen, Of Mess and Moxie, Grace not Perfection. And things started to change. Slowly, but I could feel it happening. Over the last few months I have been implementing small things and changing the way I do everyday tasks so that I can figure out how to feel like myself again. Funny how that trip to the library was exactly what I needed to find calm and simplicity in our life.

My saving grace during the last few months of 2017; fulfillment. I did it, I fulfilled what I said I would do. I read books that would encourage me right where I was. I prayed specifically for grace and patience (sometimes hourly). I put my words and plans into action. That is one HUGE thing that I have lacked over the past few years. I will be the first to admit that I’m really good at making goals for myself, but when it comes to seeing those things come to fruition, my follow through has been pretty weak. Which is why I’ve never been huge on making resolutions.

…until now. And that, one way or another, brings us to my resolutions and my word for 2018;