My Commitment to Joy in 2025
It won’t come as a surprise to my close friends and family that over the past week I have been struggling. I have been tired and irritable, and I probably bit off a lot more than I could chew. December is unquestionably the most chaotic month of the year, and it doesn’t get easier with children. From Christmas parties to buying gifts, creating the magic of Christmas, feeling the loss of loved ones and the financial pressures that accompany the chaos, it’s a lot and you can’t tell me otherwise.
Going into this holiday period, I knew Aaron would be working, but at the last minute, the requirements changed, and he is now working 16 days in a row. Without my usual support in place, this has been a lot for me to take on and I have had a few breakdowns. My physical health took a toll a couple of days ago when I became sick and to be honest, I started to not see the light at the end of the tunnel. Aaron is exhausted too and his job doesn’t stop ether when he leaves the office. We love our life but this has definitely been one of the more challenging weeks with children.
Luckily, I have had some support from family, and I have accepted this with open arms. Having a newborn and looking after a two-year-old is hard work. It feels like Lola is attached to me 24/7 and moving around with her in the carrier means every task takes a lot longer to complete. I was feeling defeated. But in typical Mon style, I had to bring myself out of the funk.
Yesterday, with help from loved ones, I took a breather and started to think positively. For me this means a complete reset. I went for a walk, ate some nourishing food, took some time to write this post and got a few things done around the house. I also started to think about 2025 and where my focus and energy should be. Although going into the new year is a little different this year, because we are all unwell, it doesn’t mean I can’t enter 2025 with optimism. I am starting to understand the energy that I need around me. Things that have affected my mental health, I am going to let go of. My mantra is… if it doesn’t serve me, I will not serve it.
Just a few days ago I was chatting to a friend about new years resolutions and what she has on her list. I was interested to hear she had two things she’d like to achieve. Being only two things sounded achievable, and it got me thinking, amongst the chaos of life, why do we need to do more? Imagine if you had one resolution, and you put all your energy into achieving that goal. Then likeliness of you chipping away at it and achieving what you set out to do would be much greater.
Considering that conversation, I am going into this year with a focus on two goals. The first is to complete a half marathon in 2025. Before having my children, I had completed two half marathons and the idea of running once again gives me so much joy. I am going to commit to three runs a week in preparation for a half marathon race in May. From a wellness perspective, I know my physical and mental health will benefit from regular exercise. I also know that when I set an exercise goal, I will eat better and live a more wholesome life. Overall, I am a better mother and partner too. If this motivates anyone else, or you’re keen to hear how I will be doing this, I will be sharing updates on my social media.
My second goal is to commit to doing simple daily tasks that make me feel good. For example, I noticed over the last week when I wasn’t attending to the smaller scale tasks such as a walk or taking my vitamins, I felt like I didn’t have my shit together. In line with the need to feel happy and wholesome, I am going to challenge myself to 365 days of joy. Each day whether it may be – making my bed, reading a page of a book or committing to a run, I want to do something that makes me feel like I am achieving. As a mum, I think this is so important, because well let’s face it, despite our job being so demanding, some days we just don’t feel like we have gotten far at all and I think this is because we forget about ourselves and our needs. By tending to ourselves, we are giving more to our children, family and friends and who isn’t about that?
In line with my commitments, I was also thinking about ways that I can stay on top of these goals. Over the next week I am going to use the below factors to break down my goals and ensure I am set up to succeed. My review will outline:
· Accountability buddy or buddies
· How my goals can continue to stay joyful and not become job driven
· Daily/weekly or monthly tasks
· Celebration milestones
· Potential setbacks for consideration
So here we are on the first day of 2025 and I do feel brighter and optimistic for the year ahead. I hope you too can go into the new year with a full heart and quiet mind. I hope you can take the burden away and make resolutions for yourself that are achievable, exude happiness and add value to your life.