With a new year comes the perfect opportunity for change, a fresh start and the chance for renewal. I’ve always loved the beginning of the year because I get excited about all of the possibilities and opportunities that lie ahead (even though my type-A personality gets a little anxious about the unknown!).
Since becoming a mom I’ve grown and changed in so many ways. I see the world through my children’s eyes. They have taught me to appreciate the little things in life and to not sweat the small stuff. If I can’t get everything done on my ever-growing to-do list, who cares? The list will always be waiting for me tomorrow, but my kids are only little, once. The day will come when they won’t want me to be their playmate, the person who builds legos, puts puzzles together, colors, plays superheros and plays hide and go seek with them. Those moments are WAY more important than crossing everything off of my list. If I can’t get out of the house on time everyday looking put together, who cares? I try my best and always want to look my best, but some days are just harder than others, especially with a baby in tow. If I fail to wake up my four year old son up after napping one hour to get some more work done, dinner prepped and (overall), just relish in the silence of two kids napping, so be it! I’m human and sometimes I’d rather deal with a kid who can’t fall asleep until 9:00 p.m. (since I let him sleep in the afternoon for too long) in order to have two hours of bliss in the afternoon to “work” (or I’m not going to lie, browse Nordstrom or get lost on Pinterest!).
Would I have said all of this prior to having Keenan or even when he was a baby? Probably not. Raising children is not easy and no matter what anyone says, it certainly changes you, but it in a wonderful way. I love being a mom and I wouldn’t change it for the world. But, in order to be the best mom that I can be, I also have to take care of myself (inside and out!). I have to invest in myself in order to take care of my family, which is why I get up so early to work out and make a continued effort to feed myself and my family healthy foods. Some people might think I’m crazy, but it’s what makes me “me,” and why I love coaching other women. Helping other moms prioritize themselves to be fit, healthy and strong in order to have more energy to take care of their families is what I love. My clients (especially those who work full time outside of the home) inspire me to push myself harder and continually strive to be better, because watching them make huge improvements reminds me that I can do the same.
Embracing change has never been easy for me, but something that I’ve learned to take in stride and get excited about (my husband says “Not enough!”). If you saw my post from Monday, you’ve probably read my goals for 2015. One of my goals includes re-branding and updating my blog. It’s been a long time coming with much thought and discussion, and I’m so excited to finally debut the new “me, well, my new site soon! So…stay tuned, more to come!
Have a wonderful weekend!
It looks like you’ve already made some changes over here – looks great!!!
I remember those days when nap time was sacred – it was my time to make sure I was ready for the rest of the day especially when Chris was deployed!!! And you are so right, in order to give our kids as much of ourselves as possible we have to take care of ourselves first!!!