The New Year's Resolution That's So Good, It's Worth Repeating
By Brooke Dowd Sacco. Posted on .
At this time last year, I made a very ambitious decision for 2012: I vowed not to change a thing.
Seven months into motherhood, and inspired by an article that suggested readers resist the mad dash to "New Year, New You" themselves, I decided to be content with who I was. Of course, who I am is someone who is always learning, growing, and gaining new perspectives. I just wasn't going to make any grand statements about being more like this or less like that.
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How did it work out?
Surprisingly well, actually. Despite not resolving myself to do it, last January I started dropping all of those pesky post-baby pounds that tend to stay around when you're breastfeeding, tired and hungry all the time. I focused on eating even better, and moving a little more. I did want to shed some weight, but I didn't put any time limits or weight loss goals in place. I just wanted to feel content with the way I looked come summer. And what do you know? I did. I even wore a bikini on the beach—once (it's not an easy task when you're tending to a toddler).
The difference is that I didn't start from a place of deficit but acceptance. Of letting things just be a little more. This attitude shift helped me to surrender control, to just let things go.
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The other big change that my 2012 non-resolution produced? I learned to stop nagging my husband. Really. As I wrote about on YourTango last winter, the transition didn't happen overnight. But it's been nearly a year now. And the really beautiful part about it? Not nagging results in a more productive partner and less conflict between us. Win-win. My husband has taken a more proactive role in many tasks around the home, and even when I do have to ask nicely, it rarely results in an argument. Keep reading ...
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