2022 New Years Resolutions

shop the post

---

Happy New Year Friends!

I know we’re already six days into this new year, but I wanted to take a moment today to share my 2022 New Years Resolutions with you all.

In the past, I’ve said on multiple occasions that I didn’t believe in New Years Resolutions. I have always believed that one shouldn’t wait until the new year to improve themselves and instead should start working on a better version of themselves today because, why wait?

While I still stand by that mind set, it’s obvious to me that I hadn’t experienced a real ‘trying’ year in my life, until now. It’s easy to say that you don’t believe in New Years Resolutions when you don’t have anything that you really need to change/work on in your life.

I’ll be honest, 2021 was a very hard year for me. You would think 2020 would have been a more difficult year but in my case, I was so busy and focused on my pregnancy, having a new born, being a new mom, recovering, moving into our home & etc., that the effects of everything that happened in 2020 didn’t hit me until 2021. Especially when it comes to my mental health.

Of course, being a new mom can take a toll on your mental health as well but what it really has to do with are the habits that I started during the pandemic, that I haven’t been able to shake. From not being able to see friends/family for most of my pregnancy, being stuck at home, having all the gyms shut down (which is huge for someone who uses fitness as a form of therapy), not being able to go to restaurants, see people or even go to the grocery store… it caused me to develop to develop a lot of anxiety and made me feel very lonely/secluded from the outside world.

At the beginning of 2021, I decided that I would take the year to focus on ‘getting back to me’ but after about a year of failed attempts, what I realized is that it’s impossible for me to get back to the ‘old me’ because I’ve changed. I’m a different person today then I was at the end of 2019 and it’s time for me to start learning who I am. I need to look towards the future as opposed to focusing so much on the past.

So that’s the theme of my resolutions for this new year! It’s time for me to step out of my comfort zone and take my life off pause. I know this post is long, I apologize for that (!) but I haven’t opened up to you all in long time and felt it was necessary. Especially if there is anyone reading this that can relate.

---

My New Years Resolutions 2022

Put my Health first

When I say this, I dont just mean dropping a few lbs…. I’m talking about prioritizing my health as a whole. It means getting my mental health in check and maybe finding a professional to talk too? I think this is something that’s super important that every could benefit from. It also means finally making a dentist appointmet. Drinking more water (less coffee and wine) and going to bed earlier. Making the point to meal prep & eat real whole food as opposed to just grabbing what’s convenient. Taking Teddy on more walks and spending more time outside. Finally making the dermatologist appointment that I’ve been procrastinating to make (I’m really starting to regret the amount of time I spent in tanning beds in high school) getting my yearly physical…it’s everything, all of the above and more.

Join a Church

Before Covid hit, we were in the midst of trying to find a new church to call home. Then when everything shut down, our search got put on hold and have been putting it off ever since. I’ve gotten by the last year listening to sermons online but have realized a church community is something we’re missing and really want to find.

Say ‘yes’ to more

While most people are pledging to “say no” more this new year…I’m over here pledging to start saying ‘yes’.

I made saying “no” my new years resolution a few years ago and lets just say I took it a little too far lol. I just want to do more this year. Plan monthly girls dinners, make the effort to go to lunch with an old friend, stop saying “we should get together” but then never follow through… I’ve just gotten bad about it. I also really need to make more mommy friends! .

Purge my Closet and Home

I want to get rid of everything. Declutter my life and only keep what’s necessary. We have so much “stuff” and I just want to get rid of it all.

Sign Teddy up for Daycare/Mother’s Day Out

Something I should have done a long time ago. It’ll be good for me to have a few hours a week to myself to work/do things I need to with out him and for him to be able to socialize with other kids!

Explore new fitness studios and find a new favorite workout!

One that will get me excited for working out again! As I mentioned, I spent so much time this last year trying to get back to the old me, that I prevented myself from moving forward at all. I thought that going back to my old gym and hopping back into my old fitness routine was what I needed but instead found myself playing the comparison game with the old me. It’s been super discouraging and hasn’t done anything for me.. which is why I think it’s time to find something new!! Maybe Class Pass would be a good thing for me to try?

Add a new puppy to the family…

I joked over the Holiday’s that I wanted a puppy for Christmas but the truth is that I’m just finally open, to being open to the idea of adding a pup to the family. I know it has been two years but I’m still very much grieving Bentley and while the thought of a new furry friend that’s not Bentley feels weird… we miss that aspect of our family and want it for Teddy.

Work on talking less and learning to listen more

This is something I’m kind of bad about. Being a great listener is something I really value in others and know that it’s something I could work on. I sometimes find myself responding a little too quickly in certain conversations, when I should really be taking the opportunity to sit back and listen. It’s not something I do on purpose. It’s my anxious, socially awkward way of wanting to make the other person feel comfortable. I respond quickly bc I’m trying to let them know that I’m listening, interested and care… which is fine and all but I’m self aware enough to know that it’s something I could work on.

One out of the home activity w/ Teddy a day

I have a lot of anxiety taking Teddy to run errands or misc trips on my own. It’s just a pain, I never know what mood he’s going to be in and there fore I avoid it lol… but I’m to the point that I just can’t let him dictate my life like that anymore and I need to get more comfortable/over my anxiety.

More Misc. Resolutions

• (2) Glasses of Water before Coffee in the morning
• 10 Burpees and 20 Squats everyday. It’s something small that can make a big impact.
• Put my phone down while riding in the car and look out the window more.
• Run the dishwasher every night and unload it first thing in the morning
• Post more of the Reels I have saved in my drafts
• Read 10 books (last year I read 5 and I want to double it this year)
• Save more and cut out any unnecessary expenses
• Play more music while driving as opposed to just listening to podcasts
• Hang my clothes up after trying them on (as opposed to laying them on my chair and letting them sit there for days lol)

---

What are some of your New Years Resolutions??

xo,

Lauren