5 TYPES OF MUM RESOLUTIONS I WON’T BE MAKING
1. I will not be making “dead horse” resolutions
I decided this after reviewing my resolutions from past years with a more critical and thoughtful eye. I asked myself: What hasn’t been working for me, and why? If a “typical” resolution hasn’t ever stuck, does it still make sense to include it now?
Am I just beating a dead horse?
For instance, after 10 years of resolving to “stop shouting at the kids” and immediately breaking that resolution weeks into each new year, maybe it’s time to just stop forcing it onto the list.
Of course, I still try my hardest to speak calmly to them as a default, reserving the raised, sharp voice for the few occasions when I need them to move quickly or when repeated reminders have fallen on deaf ears. But I’m not going to keep making this resolution in hopes that I’ll completely eliminate the shouting.
2. I will not be making resolutions to do “less” of something
As a mum, I see first-hand each day how cultivating good habits in individuals has less to do with reducing or suppressing undesirable actions, and much more to do with shifting the focus to healthy and meaningful ones instead.
For example, instead of wanting to shout less, it would be more effective for me to strive to think before I speak – and, whenever I do speak, to do so more composedly and gently.
This way, I don’t have to restrain myself from shouting. When I speak gently, the shouting automatically ceases.
3. I will not be making broad-strokes resolutions
“I want to be more present with the family”. This is another favourite resolution of mine that’s made recurring appearances for almost a decade now.
But the problem with intangible resolutions like these is that they quickly become almost impossible to accomplish, especially when the bustle of daily life inevitably runs its course and I find myself having to resort to autopilot mode just to get the bare minimum done each day.
I simply didn’t have the mental space to make those crucial decisions each day to “be more present”.
