New Years Resolution - Positivity

      It's that time of year. If you haven't already made your resolution I'm sure you have at least thought about it. I think it's important to strive for improvement in every aspect of life and I love the motivation the New Year brings.  But lets be honest, most people have unrealistic expectations of how their resolutions will change their lives or change them as a person. Just last year I set the goal of being more organized. It was a very realistic goal that I blew way out of proportion. I actually had a master list of what I was going to go through and organize on a weekly basis. Zach was deployed at the time, Lauren had just turned one and I was trying to potty train Nora. My master list of organizing actually ended up doing more bad than good. It stressed me out, it made me feel like I was failing every time a week passed with things unchecked and it was extremely overwhelming. Instead of focusing on the small (but positive) progress I was making,  all I noticed was the stuff I wasn't getting done. I actually ended up throwing the list out and abandoning my goal all together. My failure last year made me realize that resolutions should come with realistic expectations and that they should always be something that helps inspire us to be more positive and happy people. Resolutions shouldn't be stressful, they shouldn't make us feel like failures and they should never discourage us.

    With that being said, my resolution this year is Positivity. As defined by Merriam-Webster, "the practice of being or tendency to be positive or optimistic in attitude." My goal is to focus more on the positive and maintain an optimistic outlook.  I have realized over the last few years that there are few things in life you have complete control over, but your attitude is one of them. You always have complete control over your attitude. You always have the ability to respond with kind words and gentle touch, you always have the ability to forgive and you always have the ability to adjust your focus when things get blurry.

    I know it wont be easy so I'm setting myself up for success by doing a few things each day to help me maintain my focus. I am starting and ending the day with five minutes of reflection. How many of you reach for your phone first thing in the morning and again before you go to bed? Instead of doing that (because I do), my plan is to reach for my Daily Devotional Book first thing in the morning and my One Line a Day Book in the evening before bed. Just five minutes with each book, each day. Music also makes a difference in my mood, so there will be lots of music playing in our home this year as well as lots of deep breathing. I know there will be moments of negativity and I know there will be hard days, but my goal is to give it my best effort and regain focus when needed!

    If you want to know more about the two books I am using, keep reading.

There are so many good Daily Devotional Books available. I encourage you to choose the one you feel is the best for you and reach for it first thing in the morning. You can find the one I am using here. The One Line a Day Book is a great concept and the book actually covers a five year time period. Each night before bed, simply write one positive thing from the day. The mom specific one I am using can be found here and the non specific one can be found here!

I hope everyone has a happy and positive 2018.

Happy New Year,

Jayna