3 Kids, 2 Dogs and 1 Old House
  • Home
  • Our Family
  • Categories
    • Categories Part 1
      • PARENTING
      • LIFESTYLE
      • TRAVEL
      • HOME DECOR
      • MARRIAGE
      • FOOD
      • PARTY
      • PETS
      • PREGNANCY
      • SKIN JOURNEY
    • Categories Part 2
      • JEWELLERY
      • BEAUTY
      • FASHION
      • TOYS
      • SPONSORED
      • GIVEAWAYS
      • MOM WITH TATTOO’S
      • MIXED RACE RELATIONSHIPS
      • OTHER
  • Work with Me
  • CONTACT ME
  • Home
  • Our Family
  • Categories
    • Categories Part 1
      • PARENTING
      • LIFESTYLE
      • TRAVEL
      • HOME DECOR
      • MARRIAGE
      • FOOD
      • PARTY
      • PETS
      • PREGNANCY
      • SKIN JOURNEY
    • Categories Part 2
      • JEWELLERY
      • BEAUTY
      • FASHION
      • TOYS
      • SPONSORED
      • GIVEAWAYS
      • MOM WITH TATTOO’S
      • MIXED RACE RELATIONSHIPS
      • OTHER
  • Work with Me
  • CONTACT ME

3 Kids, 2 Dogs and 1 Old House

From Mom

Why New Years Resolutions Can Go Suck It! And What I’m Doing Instead

14 January 2016
0 Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest

IMG_7267

Apparently in 2016 I’m all about making aggressive titles for blog posts.  Unintentionally of course.

But seriously.  New Years resolutions can go and suck it.

Do you know how many times I have actually continued my profoundly life altering resolutions after I enthusiastically made them at 12am on New Years Day?  I’ll give you a hint.  It rhymes with Trevor but it’s not as funny.

In case that’s too cryptic, the answer is never.

The vow to travel to distant countries failed, the promise to myself to not shout at my kids failed about 8 hours after I made it.  I’ve never managed to diet all the way through the year, although to be fair I’ve never been able to diet – period.  So there’s that.  All the other things that I thought that I would do, I never actually did.  I have a feeling it’s because it has the word “resolution” tied with it.

Resolution seems so final.  So unwavering.  So determined.  So resolute.

You’re committing to doing it for the whole year.  You have to, you need to, you must.  Very definite, very final, very…

Off putting.

I don’t know about you but I hate feeling restricted.  I’m not about that life.  Even if I’ve clearly placed those restrictions on myself, I find that I start resenting every moment of it.  Worse still, when a resolution is not fulfilled once or twice it’s just considered broken in my head.  Too broken to go back to.  No fixing, no making up for – that’s it.  No more resolution.

Maybe not being a quitter should be my New Years resolution.

Nah.

Instead of stuffing up two weeks into the year and giving up, I’m setting myself something different.  A few things that I want to do more of.  Not life altering, mind blowing things, but things that I hope by doing more regularly, will make me a better Mom, more involved wife and a more connected friend.  Plus besides being all of those things for other people, I will feel like a better me and more able to give of myself to others.

This year I hope to do more:

  • Reading – I will read anything.  The only genre that I really don’t enjoy is biographies and thriller type things.  I hope by reading more, I will expand my thinking.  Be more aware of other perspectives, having my grey matter challenged to trying new things and also achieve the wonderfulness of leaving my World behind and delving into another one.  Gosh I love my kids, but sometimes slipping out of my current reality and into another one is just fantastic.  A brain holiday if you will.
  • Adventuring – If you had to look up Cindy Alfino in the dictionary you would not find the word “adventurous” there to define me.  After hearing that “Moms don’t swim” from my children (when talking to their friends this holiday), I’ve realised that maybe I’m giving them the wrong impression of how to do life.  From food to travelling to experiences – I want to do it, see it, try it.  Maybe I’ll freaking hate it, but it’s better than hating the idea of it.
  • Listening – How often I have been too engrossed in my to-do list to actually listen to my children.  Granted when I set aside a time to talk to them they have no intention of talking to me, at the most I get a “fine” – but maybe that’s something we’ll fix this year.  When they’re ready to talk, I want to be more available to listen.
  • Sleeping – I know this may seem like a weird one, but goodness knows that I am a better person when I’ve had enough sleep.  Just ask Seth.  So instead of watching TV till the late hours and then scrolling through my phone for a few more hours and then lying there wondering why my brain won’t switch off, I’m obviously still indulging my series addiction but making sure that I go to sleep at a reasonable time.  The trick though is that I am not looking at my phone before I go to sleep.  Jas-like-it, it has been flipping difficult, but I managed to do it for a couple of nights and I have fallen asleep so much easier.
  • Entertaining – This is the year for regular braais with friends, dinner parties with more friends, date nights, kids dates, gym partners, sneaky retreats with and without the kids and themed birthday parties.  Gone are the days that I make excuses of why we can’t entertain – I can’t cook, the house is a mess, we just need to do *** and then we can have people over.  Rubbish.  Not happening this year.  Even if people happen to leave with a bit of food poisoning, at least we’ll be doing it together.  A bonding moment if you will.

So here’s hoping that by wanting to do more of things, instead of accomplish certain exact things, I’ll actually stick to this little list this year.

Do you have resolutions?  Do you stick to them?  How do you approach a New Year?  I’d love to hear some of your changes for this year.

Like what you’ve read here?  That’s flipping awesome – feel free to share it with your friends.  Also come hang out with me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram where you can find us a whole lot of this – just shorter.

IMG_7284

Why New Years Resolutions Can Go Suck It! And What I’m Doing Instead was last modified: January 14th, 2016 by 321Blog
new years resolutionsno resolutions
15 comments
0
Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest
previous post
Starting The Year By Looking Back
next post
First Day Of School – The Trial Run For Next Week

Leave a Comment Cancel Reply

15 comments

BekkieBoutique 14 January 2016 at 9:35 AM

RT @CindyAlfino: Why New Years Resolutions Can Go Suck It! And What I’m Doing Instead https://t.co/7RRazPqZUi https://t.co/Q7bh7brbP2

Reply
Adventure Kidz Mom 14 January 2016 at 9:54 AM

Ja. We totally have given up on resolutions and we rather have hopes for the year. This year is our year of living life to the full! and Having alot of adventures!

Reply
321Blog 18 January 2016 at 1:06 PM

I echo you on lots of adventures!! Looking forward to reading about yours

Reply
Tamarah 14 January 2016 at 11:09 AM

We sit down together at 23:45 on the 31st and chat about the highs and lows of the year gone by and then about our plans and what we are looking forward to for the coming year. So this year is all about watching our new daughter grow, getting my degree and travelling to the UK. We never make resolutions.

Reply
321Blog 18 January 2016 at 1:05 PM

Oh how exciting! Sounds like you’ve got a fantastic year coming up!

Reply
cat@jugglingact 14 January 2016 at 11:15 AM

Never do resolutions! But I also like to list things I want to do for the year – a sort of yearly wishlist that looks a lot like yours. And I do a word for the year – one to keep in mind, to inspire when needed and enjoyed at times

Reply
321Blog 18 January 2016 at 1:05 PM

I tried the word for the year once, but I couldn’t stick to that either. Maybe I am just a quitter haha

Reply
Kim Muller 14 January 2016 at 4:06 PM

We don’t do resolutions either. Love your list. For me with not looking at my phone before I go to sleep, I put it on charge in the kitchen just before I get into bed. So it’s not next to me and mocking me 🙂

Reply
321Blog 18 January 2016 at 1:04 PM

Oh gosh, did you have withdrawal effects on the first night? Not looking at it is hard, but knowing it’s there makes it easier for me, you know in case I desperately had to check Instagram for a very important reason!

Reply
Heather 14 January 2016 at 8:34 PM

I don’t do resolutions either. But I do want to yell less really. And I want to be good teacher.

Reply
321Blog 18 January 2016 at 1:03 PM

I’m sure you will be a fantastic teacher! You have that peacefulness about you that makes people calm and want to listen to what you have to say. I’m sure the kids will feel the same way!

Reply
CindyAlfino 15 January 2016 at 2:14 AM

Why New Years Resolutions Can Go Suck It! And What I’m Doing Instead https://t.co/7RRazP9p2K

Reply
mommabearTrax 15 January 2016 at 10:14 AM

Holy smokes, that not looking at your phone in bed is trickier than I thought hey! Sleep is my main focus this year, and from several other sleep hygiene exercises I’ve done in the past, I know that blue light from screens are a no. And I did pretty well…until, I discovered Instagram. #sleepfail #cantstopscrolling So this year, hubby and I are going to be more disciplined about it.

Reply
321Blog 18 January 2016 at 1:00 PM

Instagram hey! Once you start scrolling you can’t stop until you get to the place that you last looked at. It’s a sickness for me haha

Reply
5 Things I'm Leaving In 2016 - 3 Kids, 2 Dogs and 1 Old House 9 January 2017 at 7:38 AM

[…]  Instead of making a specific list of things that I wanted to do/change/see/whatever, I just set 5 things that I wanted to do more of.  What a freaking success!  I read more, I tried new things (still didn’t swim that much […]

Reply

About Us

About Us

HI THERE - WE'RE THE ALFINOS

After living a very normal suburban life we packed up everything to live in a VW van for a year as a family of 5. Now that we have traveled our beautiful country we are back to normal but trying to remember what it was like to live with less, spend time in nature and build on our family bonds. Join us on the journey.

Keep in touch

Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest Youtube Bloglovin

Catch Us On Facebook

Facebook

YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kqh5upir7c

Some Of Our Best Posts

  • Say Hello To Our Little Herb...

    5 Nov 2019
  • Maletsunyane Falls – The Highest Single...

    17 Oct 2019
  • WIN A Rookie USA Voucher for...

    10 Sep 2019
  • Our DIY Harry Potter Party

    8 Aug 2019
  • CURRENTLY – We’re Home, Now What?

    14 May 2019

On Pinterest

@cindyalfino

Check In On Instagram