Goals for 2015

Hello!  Long time, no blog, huh?!

I've got a good excuse: I was cruising to the Bahamas with Max, the hubs, and the in-laws.  It was so nice to escape the cold, spend some quality family time, and prove to myself that vacationing with a baby isn't as scary as I thought.  I'll post more about all that later, pinky-swear.

As is the case after every trip we take, I have a lot to do now that we're home.  Here's a sample of my to-do list:

unpack

laundry (so much laundry)

plan meals

buy groceries

take down Christmas decorations (yeah, I still haven't done that...)

order/make decorations for Max's baptism

dust

vacuum

organize

begin "The Great Purge of 2015" (where I go through all our stuff and get rid of/donate things we haven't used in the last year)

See?  Told you I had lots to do.

Max had a weird night of sleep last night: he woke up screaming about 4 different times and it took a good 15 minutes to get him to go back down each time.  I tried nursing him each time (my go-to when nothing else works) and even THAT wouldn't soothe him!  He screamed himself awake at 6:30 this morning, but I could tell he wasn't "up for the day" (seriously, you learn the signs.  He wasn't ready to be awake) so I walked him around the house and eventually was able to nurse him in our "nursing spot" in the family room.  As I suspected, he passed right out and is currently snoozing in his room.

Mommy, on the other hand, is wide awake.  Of course.

As I was making my first cup of coffee after putting Max down, I was going through that "little" to-do list in my head, trying to decide how I should spend this "free time" that I unexpectedly was granted.  "I should go through my cookbooks and make a grocery list."  "I should sort the laundry and start a load."  "I should unpack the suitcases and put them away."  This was a great time for me to get something done!

But instead, I ignored all the "shoulds," took my coffee to the couch, and I curled up with a blanket (Kenny nuzzled in there, too), The Today Show, and my computer and wrote this here little blog post.  I'll get to all that other stuff eventually.

Dog and baby toys are EVERYWHERE!

I haven't really made New Year's resolutions in the past couple of years because I haven't been successful with them.  But I do have some goals for this year after reflecting on my new life as a mommy.  One goal is to take time to just "be."  

source

By this, I mean I want to forgot the to-do list, ignore all the "shoulds" and just do something I feel like doing at that moment, at least once a day, even if it's just for 10 minutes.  Examples include: read, watch a movie with my husband (and hopefully not fall asleep 20 minutes in), write in my journal, drink a cup of coffee while sitting down...basically do something I want to do and not simultaneously do something I have to do.  Easier said than done, I think, but I was already successful this morning, so that's a start!

I also want to be more productive.  I suffer a bit from ADD (self-diagnosed), so I get distracted frequently, which makes it tough for me to complete a task in a timely manner.  Having a mobile baby isn't helping that situation.  My goal is to focus on one task until it is completed, especially when it comes to household tasks.  I read an article about increasing productivity a few weeks ago, and it suggested setting a timer for 10 minutes and doing as much as you can in that amount of time.  Then give yourself a break, if you haven't completed everything, and set the timer again.  I've tried this a few times and I have to say it's incredibly motivating.  Hopefully it continues to work for me!

I could make a goal to be less stressed/anxious, but I think that if I'm successful with my other two goals, a reduction in my stress levels will come naturally.

Wish me luck!

What are your goals for 2015?  Do you have any tips to help me be successful with mine?  I'll take all the help I can get!