January - The Summation

Wow. January 31st already? You mean the first month of 2010 is already over? Behind me?

I think the end of the first month of the year is a good time to take a breather and sit back and review goals and New Year's Resolutions. And since a number of you have asked how I've done on a couple of my resolutions, I'll simply have to share my trials and tribulations over the past 31 days.

You might remember that at the end of my last post for 2009 I threw in some weighty New Year's Resolutions. I decided I was going to lose ten pounds. By the end of March. And then I decided that this was how I would be doing it.

How has it been going?

I am quite embarrassed to admit that I really hit the skids on this one. I felt like I was "gung ho" and ready for this, but when it came down to putting the Whole Body Action plan into reality, I fizzled. I found the restrictive diet much too difficult for me. I really, really love food and I truly enjoy cooking. I gravitate to warm, hearty comfort food when it's cold outside. I get tired, weak, and cranky as soon as I go a few hours without food, so the liquid part of the detox made me virtually useless.

And while I have not lost any weight over the past month, I have also not gained any. And I am definitely eating fewer treats and less sugar-laden junk than I was over the holidays. So I refuse to look at this as a complete failed attempt. Baby steps. Rome wasn't built in a day.

Regarding the exercise part of this regime? Well, I have no good excuses. It's winter in Ottawa, it's cold, the kids have been sick, I have a bad foot, I've been really busy . . . I could go on and on and on but the reality is simply that I haven't gotten around to doing it yet. And the truth is that I feel like a million bucks when I work out routinely, so I am continuing to push forward in hopes that regular exercise becomes a part of my daily routine very soon.

In better news, my commitment to joining Andrea from the Fishbowl's Shopping Embargo has faired far better than my new healthy body plan. Shopping this month was cut back to a bare minimum, and I didn't have that much difficulty sticking to the plan. It's really causing me to pause and reflect before giving in to the sudden urge to want to buy something.

"Do I want this?" or "Do I need this?" are questions I ask myself on a regular basis. And I have found myself becoming creative in my approach to both getting rid of stuff and seeking out new stuff. I made a significant chunk of change this month selling things we no longer needed on Kijiji, and I learned to ask friends and family for items that I need before running out to buy something. I ended up having a friend lend me a snowsuit for Thing 2, as I really didn't want to have to buy him a new one mid-season, knowing that Thing 1's current snowsuit (in excellent condition) will fit him next winter.

A couple of exceptions that arose were the fact that we needed a new lamp (ours broke, the living room was too darn dark) and the reality that I was coveting some new craft supplies. We found a very affordable lamp at a good price, and it is absolutely perfect for our living room, it matches everything beautifully and seems to pull the entire room together. And the craft supplies have been serving me well, as I have secured a few big orders for my hand-made cards this month!

I am still working on becoming a better listener. I think I am getting there. I try more frequently to stop what I am doing and listen to what the kids are telling me, no matter how mundane, ridiculous, or petty it may seem. Children love being heard, and especially love to know their parents are listening to them.

And, finally have I started living more days as if they were my last? I am definitely enjoying life a little more. I am making the most of the little things. I am delighting in the beauty and innocence of the 3 Things each day. I started a book club with some new friends and have been reading a couple books a week. I have stopped watching television. I am trying to spend more time with the people I care about and to expend less energy on those who are not worth it.

So, I say, bring on February with it's groundhogs, longer days, Valentine festivities, Winterlude activities, and a birthday celebration for yours truly. I may not be ten pounds smaller but then there would be less of me to enjoy 2010's second month, right?