My daughter laughed

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! I hope you all had a blessed Christmas. We continue to celebrate Christmas in my family until the Epiphany (January 5th this year). Now it's time for the new year.

I think it's a natural reaction to New Year's for us to reflect on last year (or our life thus far) and make resolutions for the next year. I'm not a huge resolution girl. I never have been. I think it's the word that turns me off. Making a resolution sounds so final. It makes me hesitate because I don't want to resolve to do something that I know I may not do. Because of that attitude, I went for years without making any resolutions at all. Being a Weight Watchers employee changed my mind a few years back. Now, I look forward to reflecting about my life thus far and making some realistic goals for the next year.

Today, my daughter, Gabriella, asked me what my new year's resolution was. Now, there are many things that I could resolve to (or set a goal for). Weight loss, weight maintenance, exercise, more time with my family, more time for myself are just a few that I could choose from. I've thought about it pretty hard because, again, if I am going to set a goal, I want it to be specific and attainable. I could pick any or all of a long list of things but I don't want to overwhelm myself either.

Are you waiting with bated breath?  Okay........I'm going to go to bed earlier. Are you disappointed? Gabriella was. Her response was muffled under her laugh, "What!?" Here's my reasoning. I would like to exercise more. In order to exercise more, I need to be able to get up earlier.  You all know that I recently went back to work for WW. I have been subbing for several meetings as well as leading my meetings at Shorewood Riverclub on Saturday mornings. What many of you don't know is that a month ago, I also started working for my church, Good Shepherd Catholic Church. I am the Christian Formation Administrative Assistant. It has been a wonderful job. I am thoroughly enjoying it. It is part-time so I still have time for leading my Saturday WW meetings and being with my family. It has made it hard to fit in exercise though......at least that is what I have been telling myself.

After really looking at my life, I have realized that it is staying up late at night that is really preventing my from exercising. I am too tired to get out of bed in the morning to exercise. I work early in the morning so I really need to get up by 5 to get in a good workout in the morning. Doing the math, that means that I need to make myself a goal to go to bed by 10 each night so I know that I can get up by 5am.

The reason I am picking this one goal as my new year's resolution is because I know that it will impact my whole life positively. I will have more energy because I will get more sleep. I will feel better because I will get more exercise. My clothes will feel better on me because my body will be in better shape. I will be a good example to my children who need to know that exercise is important to their daily lives too. I will want to eat well all day so I can see the true fruits of my labor. I'm sure I could go on telling you of all of the benefits but I think you get the picture.

I'm ready to leave 2013 behind. Although it was a great year with many blessings in my life, it ended with a challenge. I had my first ever car accident on December 30th. I can't wait to get that out of my head and have a great 2014........sleep, exercise, good eating, time with my family, time for myself, health, happiness and all of the many blessings and challenges 2014 will bring along.

I will continue to blog in 2014 too. I know my blogs lately have been few but know that I am always thinking of all of you and appreciate that so many of you read it. I love to hear from people in person, through email and on facebook. It's always so encouraging when someone tells me how they love reading my blog. I truly love writing it too.

Have a great day....and year too!

Corinna

"Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward too what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." -Philippians 3:13-14