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Real moms take on real issues

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Broken Resolutions? No Problem!

Posted January 03, 2010
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Posted Friday January 1, 2009 by Jackie Morgan MacDougall

By now, the champagne has been popped, the streamers have just become another thing to clean up and Dick Clark has been put away for another year. The new year has begun and many of those dreams of starting the perfect 2010 are already dashed.

How's your resolution going? My goals were simple.

• Commit to creating a healthy body.

• Be more patient with the kids

• Get organized

One of the perks of being a blogger is that experts are constantly giving me free advice, from baby sleep training to discipline, eating issues to relationship challenges. Even my own former personal trainer (the incredibly-motivating shirtless guy whose incredible services couldn't survive my family budget) gave me six motivational gems to keep me going this year.

1. Visualize the accomplishment of your goals each and every day. Experience the taste of success and feel that sweet satisfaction.

2. Believe in yourself. Know with conviction that you CAN accomplish your goals.

3. Don't be afraid to ask for help.

4. Destroy negative self talk.

5. Expect more of yourself.

6. Set specific, measurable goals.

But I don't care what others say, all the will power and expert advice can't get you down the road of success the day after New Year's Eve unless you forego any and all festivities. Although we haven't hit any wild parties, or even gone out for that matter, since our first kid arrived over five years ago, we did have a nice evening in with friends. The margaritas were flowing, followed by a little red wine (it sounded like a good idea at the time), and by the time the champagne was cracked open, we were in full debate over whether Ryan Seacrest had, in fact, gotten a new hair guy. Seriously, I could've done a better job, Ry Ry!

So on New Year's Day, the last thing on my mind is a work out. I'm totally lazy, watching kid movies on the couch, yet the my perfect angels are up stairs playing and slamming doors. The dishes from last night remain on the counter in a dirty mess and I just stuffed five pieces of bacon in my face. Bacon? I don't even eat bacon! Well that is, until I tell myself I can't have bacon. Then apparently, I totally eat bacon.

The only motivation I even mustered was to stomp upstairs with a screwdriver to pull the door off my daughter's wall after I warned them about slamming it "one more time." (Hmm, maybe I should've added "follow through" to my list of resolutions. I nailed that one.)

And I'm not alone. I used Facebook and Twitter to check in on all of those passionate resolution-making butt kickers from last week. Nothing. The day was filled with movie marathons and takeout Chinese, not the promised diet plan. And the friend who said organization was in her plans, was out shopping for shoes. And I'm not buying that it was just to get a new box in order to organize her receipts.

So I am giving myself and anyone who has already failed their resolutions a second-chance day. How often can a family with three small kids actually kick back and do nothing, anyway? New Year's Day is for rest. Maybe tomorrow is the day to change the world... or even later in the week. I mean, anybody can start a resolution on January 1st. But it takes a trailblazer to choose a random day sometime the week after.

Yeah, I think I've got myself a revolution here.


Jackie Morgan MacDougall, on the never-ending quest for balance, enjoys life in Los Angeles with her husband, Jeff, and their three small kids. Read more of her take on parenting, kids and everything else on The Silver Whining.

Related Articles on Family.com:

Before You Make Your New Year's Resolutions?

Make New Year's Resolutions the Whole Family Will Keep

9 New Year's Resolutions


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Broken Resolutions? No Problem!

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