Be it hereby resolved

Happy New Year! I love new beginnings! Not only do we have a new year to celebrate, but a new DECADE!!!!

I'm a New Year's Resolution junkie. Well, I'm a goal-making, planning, type-A junkie, period. Last year, my Resolutions spanned two pages, typed. It was basically a comprehensive plan of how to make my life perfect. No wonder I didn't accomplish more than a fraction of what I had set out to do over the past year!

This year, I've got a better plan! Instead of making an exhaustive list of everything that needed to be worked on in my life, I decided to focus on three. That's a tad more digestible, no? I looked at my life, and tried to figure out what three changes would make the biggest impact on improving my life.

First, I decided that getting into shape would probably make the single biggest improvement. I would have more energy, focus, stamina, and confidence!

Second, I decided that I needed to schedule time with God every day. Up until now, I only read the Bible or wrote in my prayer journal whenever an opportunity conveniently arose. Well, you all know how often opportunity and intention so perfectly come into convergence... I know that by focusing on my spiritual health, I will be renewed and refilled daily. That will outpour into every other area of my life!

Third, I will launch my own business this year, in conjunction with my two business partners. Early last year, I came up with an amazingly clever idea for a product that will benefit every mom! Even better, my partners and I could pretty much design and create this product completely from our (and our amazing hubbies') own resources and talents! There really is no excuse for not getting this business off the ground and running! So, this year, I will make it happen! Having the extra income from what I know will be a thunderously successful business would definitely help in so many ways! (By the way, I'm purposely not divulging the details of the business just yet. Rest ye assured, you will be the first ones to know and sample the goods when we're ready to launch!).

But, making goals is only the start. It doesn't do much good unless you actually execute them! Borrowing from Tony Robbins (one of my favorite motivational speakers!), I created a MAP - a Massive Action Plan. First, you clearly define the goal with specificity. Then you create a plan - every step, big or small, that I need to take to accomplish that goal and when I am going to complete each step. Here are my MAPs:

Resolution 1: Get in shape - 120 lbs by my birthday! (April 13)
* I scheduled all my workouts through April on my calendar.
* I am committed to getting up early in the morning to workout. I've learned that if I don't do it first thing, it just doesn't get done!
* I took my measurements and before photos so I can measure and track my progress.
* I have a program on my iPhone where I can journal my workouts and eating so I can see how well I'm doing over time.
* I've defined healthy eating limits and have made meal plans full of healthy foods. Every Sunday, I will go to the grocery and do all the prep work for all my meals and snacks so there are NO EXCUSES.
* I've established prizes to reward myself when I hit each goal - New tennis shoes after I've lost the first 5 lbs; a "Girls' Night" at the Melting Pot after the first 10 lbs; a trip to the salon for a new hairdo and manicure and pedicure after I've lost 15 lbs, and after I've hit my goal of losing 20 lbs - I'm going to buy myself a new spring/summer wardrobe! Now if that doesn't motivate me...

Resolution 2 - Grow Spiritually.
* After I finish my workout each morning, I will spend 20 minutes reading the Bible and doing my Bible Study program, and praying.
* I loaded up my iPod with new spiritual music!
* Each day while I eat lunch, I will read my daily passage (they are super short) from Joel Osteen's Your Best Life Now Devotions which I have loaded on my iPhone Kindle to make it super easy!
* I bought Ace the Love Dare Couples' Daily Devotions book (based on the movie Fireproof) for Christmas, and each night before bed, we are reading through that day's devotion and discussing. This is not just great for me personally, but also for us as a couple!

Resolution 3 - Launch my business by June!
* I made up a step-by-step process for developing the product and a time table for doing so.
* I have scheduled two hours each week where I will completely devote myself to this project!

I have also scheduled on my calendar a time each month where I sit down and review my progress on my resolutions and track my progress. I know that unless I keep this in constant focus, I will gradually lose steam over the year! I've very excited for 2010 and for the BIG changes I am making this year!

What are YOUR resolutions?????

(Don't) Picture This

It was a beautiful weekend. The sun was shining, there was a gentle breeze, but it wasn't nearly as hot or muggy as it has been here on the East Coast of late. My sweet darling one year old decided both Saturday and Sunday that it would be lovely to rise early to enjoy the brillance of the morning. (Translation: Bennett woke me up at the butt crack of dawn). I spend Saturday diligently cleaning and organizing and laundering. We take a brief break in the afternoon to go buy a fun kiddie pool for the boys and get some dinner. We put the kids to bed and I return to my endless piles of laundry to fold. I read my book (which is turning out to be very good, by the way -->) for a while, watch a movie with Ace (Marley and Me), and crawl into bed at 1:30 a.m. Smart, Elle.

Sunday, again up with the rooster (aka Bennitto), I return to the usual tasks of cleaning house and corralling children. We have to leave for church at 11:30, so at 10:30, I wake Ace up (must be nice, huh?) and ask him to watch the kids, make the bed and make sure Carter gets dressed while I shower and dress. I come out of the shower to the sound of children crying in my bedroom. Carter and Bennett were there alone, and Bennett just got a head bump and was wailing. I scoop Bennett up to console him and yell for Ace.

Ace informs me that he just cannot take it (the screaming) anymore and he's going to take a shower. Bennett decides he wants to nurse (I am, afterall, topless) and just latches on to me without warning. Nice. My hair is sopping wet, I have a kid hanging off my chest, and Carter is bouncing off the walls. Meanwhile, Ace proceeds to shower and dress, and I'm STILL NAKED. Because a girl can't get 20 minutes of peace I 'spose. I snap. Hell hath no fury like an overly-stressed woman. I'm SCREAMING at Ace - "You never help me around the house," "You have no regard for our routines," yada, yada, yada, only slightly exaggerating or over-generalizing. All the while...still naked (please, don't picture it, it ain't pretty).

I look back at how comical it was at the time, but an important realization was reached by both of us yesterday morning ... The stress of work (which, by the way, I got an email from my boss this morning saying to prepare myself, we're about to get even busier...), the stress of my futile attempts to keep my house clean and orderly, and the severe lack of free time to enjoy my children or (gasp!) some time to myself - well, lets just say I've had enough. Now, don't beat up Ace (because he reads this) - he does contribute, its just not enough and his standards aren't quite as high as mine. But if want to save our sanity (and our marriage, apparently, lol), something has GOT to give.

So...we decided to hire back our cleaning service. They come twice a month and do all the deep cleaning. We'll still have the basic every day stuff (which is more than enough, believe you me) to do, but this will at least ensure that twice a month, my house is clean, and I don't have to do it! Maybe now I can get to some of the other projects (like writing thank you notes for Bennett's birthday...) that get strewn to the wayside. Screw being frugal - I'd rather be sane!!

So, don't picture me naked and screaming with a kid hanging off my chest...but do picture my house clean and tidy and me calm and relaxed :) That's the hope at least!!!!