What’s your take on new year’s resolution?

I don’t “do” the resolutions thing.

The closest I’ve ever been to something similar to a new year resolution was a “morning after” promise to never drink as much as I had done the previous evening… I was 19 (legal to drink where I lived) and I have to say… I’ve been drunk since but never like I was that time… This decision has stayed with me for almost 20 years now.

Back to resolutions…

Probably for the same reasons I don’t wait for Valentine’s Day to profess my love to the people in my life… I don’t look at January 1st as a new beginning.

It’s true that I desire to lose weight. I would love to be healthier. A healthy back is something I dream of…

How will I get there?

By making small changes here and there… By taking time for myself. By loving who I am and feeling like I deserve to be healthier.

Is that a Resolution? I don’t think so because I can’t fail. I’m not saying I need to lose 50lbs. I’m saying that I will love who I am and take care of myself.

Can I measure my success? Depends who you ask I guess…

Over the last week, I’ve been heartbroken reading Facebook status of people who had decided last year at this time that 2013 was going to be the year their child would walk… It didn’t happen. They were upset, not at their child but at life…

I have never put any deadlines on Emily’s progress. Within months of her being born I had thrown out the what to expect in the first year baby book we had.

She didn’t meet any milestones.

After her diagnosis, I took what the doctors said and decided that Emily would do what she could and that we would adjust to her.

If she grew-up without being able to walk, we would get a wheelchair, get a better house for her to be able to navigate on her own, get a different car…

She couldn’t talk, not one specialist believed she would. We thought she would but learned sign language to help her. We got a PECS system for school… We found ways until she found her voice.

She couldn’t figure out the potty? We kept at it and did our best not to get frustrated by it.

If we had set a yearly goal for her to be toilet trained, we would have been upset…

Disappointed…

On a yearly basis…

For multiple years…

Instead, we figured the doctor could have been right and that this could be one of those things that she just wouldn’t be able to learn.

We didn’t give up but we didn’t put pressure on us and tried not to pressure Emily. We didn’t her to feel self conscious about this. It doesn’t help anything when you feel bad about yourself…!

Slowly, she learned. She got it!

We celebrated!!!

So here I am, applying the same thinking to my “non” resolutions.

No plans, small changes here and there. Keep at it… Love yourself. Believe in yourself.

Keep the desired outcome in mind when making decisions…

Celebrate every small steps.

Is this a resolution?

Do you make resolutions?

Ok, fine… I made one, years ago. I decided to be happy… Every single day, I make the same decision… Today is going to be a great day. Today I’m happy! I wish to continue to be happy on my birthday cake candles and on fish bone wishes. Any wishes really :).