New Year's banner courtesy of my niece Elisabette
The only way I can describe the last week or so? Reveling.
I’ve been reveling all day and all night: Eating what I want, drinking what I want, falling asleep when I want, waking up when I want. Talking, laughing, listening to music, dancing, more laughing, and did I mention eating?
The thing about reveling is that it’s so much fun for a short period of time that you don’t ever think it could get old. Until it does. And then you wake up one day and your kitchen is a crumby, sticky mess, your pantry is stuffed with junk food, your jeans don’t fit, your sleep schedule is wrecked beyond recognition, and you suddenly find yourself longing for your normal, familiar old routine.
I’m just about there.
A lot of people see January 1 as a blank slate ready for resolutions, goals, and life-changing proclamations, but I’m never really ready to embrace the new year right on New Year’s Day. It’s too much pressure, and anyway, who’s feeling up to it after New Year’s Eve?
This month I’m planning to blog a month-long, day-by-day 2012 life-shape-up program for myself. But I’m not starting that until next week. There’s no way I can really embrace the new year and all its possibilities until I get back on track. And for me, that’s going to start with cleaning up: my diet, my cupboard, my calendar, my closets, my sleep habits.
Gradually, of course: this bloated old body can’t handle a sudden shock to the system right now. But little by little, starting with figuring out which of the laundry baskets I tossed in my closet before our New Year’s Eve party is full of dirty clothes and which are ready to fold. Then I’ll move to the kitchen. Then tonight, I’ll go to bed at a normal time…or at least not 3 AM. Then tomorrow…I’ll just keep chipping away.
Baby steps, right?
I’ll be totally ready to discuss 2012 planning, goal-setting, and dreaming next week. But for this week? I’m just focusing on cleaning up my life so 2012 really feels like a fresh start.
Are you ready for a post-holiday clean-up like me, or still hanging on in revel mode for a while longer? What’s your Mindful Monday intention this week?
I know what you mean, it’s so easy to get sucked in to the easy way of life. I have to go back to work tomorrow, so I had to pull in the reigns a little early. The last two days I have been (slowly) cleaning up and getting ready to get back to reality.
I have loved being at home on my own time, but all good things do have to come to an end.
Good luck to you getting things back together, and Happy New Year!
I get so overwhelmed thinking about everything I want to do better, perfectly, and there’s no way to do it all, especially if one of your goals is to have balance and treat yourself well. I wrote down 12 goals for the year this morning. I think I’m on the right track… none involve 100% consistency.
well, you would have been smitten with the purge and reorganization that took place in our playroom today. a several hour job, but so well worth it (in my mind…the kids might have a different take…) i, too, just couldn’t move forward until things were more in order. i had the cooking done, but didn’t feel “fresh” if you know what I mean? now that that high traffic room is in order I feel like I can send the kids off to school tomorrow and buckle down in our bedroom, office and mudroom…so that the year gets off to a balanced, organized start. i am totally with you on this…
Much respect! I wish you to have to power to your baby(?)steps;) I’m still hanging on in holiday mode:) But on wednesday i have 2 work, so that will be the time when i must come back to reality. And then, there will be time to a giant clean-up in my whole life.
We (and that really means Mr. Sandwich) did a lot of cleaning up during the holidays. Our place is still cluttered, but workable, and we plan to keep working on it. I’m looking forward to seeing your plans as we develop our own.
But what is it about laundry? I don’t mind anything but the folding, and that’s the stage at which it really piles up.
I’m ready but taking it WAY slow. 🙂
Steph
I am glad to know I am not the only one that is in more clean up mode rather than embrace 2012. I think I will be ready in a week or so as well. Happy New Year!
YESSSS!!! I love my hubby being home for two weeks, but that makes everyday a holiday and I do not have a wife of my own to take up the slack. Cannot WAIT till kids are big enough to do it. LOL.
We actually spent last week doing as much purging and organizing as possible since I was off work and the kids were too sick to plan any outings. Since I work out of the home M-F, weekends go by so fast and I never feel like I can get traction, so having all those days in a row gave me so much motivation.
Now that I’m back to work yesterday (and kids back today) I’m back into survival mode 🙂 I’m not big on the blank slate / resolutions tying to Jan 1. I do find myself relating them to life changes. When my youngest turned 1 last April, that was the motivator to start getting healthy – working out and eating better. Once she was 18mo and a tad more self suficient, I slowly started to get on the meal planning bandwagon and have made big improvements in that area. So I’m not stressing about doing anything major right now. I’m all for gradual changes.
My first Mindful Monday commitment was to write weekly in my blog about my daughter. That went well for a couple of months but now I see my last update about her was back in August! So I’m recommitting to writing in the blog weekly for the year. And my intention for this week is to get organized and find all my baby stuff! I’m due 2/12 and got nothin’ ready, really nothing. No idea where our car seat is, basinet, etc. I told myself “after the new year” and here it is! So I have very little planned for this weekend and that’s when I’m going to dig most of it up. Until then, I need to make a list.
My goal for now is just to go back to regular eating habits. Was on vacation for 3 weeks of December and gained a whopping 8 pounds. Thank you egg nog and too much wine.
I’ve been enjoying your blog. I too am looking for baby steps in 2012!!! In fact today was my last day to sleep until my kids woke me up! Starting tomorrow I’m trying my best to be up and ready and happy before my kids step out of their beds. That’s gonna take this momma laying aside her selfish desires (SLEEP!) and get to moving! Baby steps I tell you!
:)Jamie