My Christmas Gift To Myself

I said that 2011 was all about “focus.” Well, somewhere in the shuffle my focus got lost and I found myself “yes, yes, yes”ing to everything that came my way. Part of that was because I’m self-employed now and turning down an opportunity means my kids might not eat next month. I was ripping and running my way through the days and nights and feeling run down almost every single day.

2011 was rough. I had a lot of accomplishments, yes, but it was exhausting.

In 2012, my goal is to work smarter, not harder and do something I’ve been threatening to do for years: Cut myself some doggone slack.

I am my own worst critic and now that I’m my own boss, the pressure is 10 times greater. But I realize that I give 1000% in everything I do so I can’t be mad. I’m giving myself a reality check in the form of a performance review.

In the past year I:

  • managed to pay all my bills on time. Yes, the big ones AND the little ones.
  • got a 3.7 in graduate school.
  • volunteered on six field trips (since August).
  • baked cookies for my daughter’s class twice.
  • made four meals for my husband’s work potlucks.
  • juggled 5-6 freelance clients at a time.
  • (somehow) managed to stick to a $50 a week grocery budget.
  • raised money for a young mother to get a book scholarship.
Now, if I did all that, surely I’ve earned the right to cut myself a little slack, huh? I push myself incredibly hard but it’s only because I want big things for my life. My husband and I are building a legacy. I want my kids to have options when they’re older, so they’re not making decisions based off money. I want us to build something that will grow and support all of us for a long time to come. So I work myself like mad.
But I’m taking off all next week to regroup and reload and remember that I am not a machine, but a tired mama of two who needs to pump her brakes every once in a while and get some rest.
So I encourage you to take some time and figure out what it is that YOU want in 2012. And then go for it.

Comments

  1. Way to go! I am interested in hearing more about this $50/week grocery budget!

  2. You accomplished a lot. You should be proud.

    Now cut yourself some slack in the the new year!

  3. Ms. Prince says:

    Get the rest you deserve because you earned it!

  4. I’m stuck on that $50 a week grocery budget. I’m such a terrible grocery shopper. I never make lists (and when I do I don’t stick to them) and I hate eating left overs so we throw so much food away. I also buy ridiculous things that I don’t need (like Oreo cookies). I truly need to put myself on a grocery budget so I won’t waste anymore money.

  5. Jelisa | Blogging Ever After says:

    I absolutely relate to the need to cut yourself some slack and just…sit down for a second. Hopefully we can both get better at it. :)

    I, too, am amazed at that $50/week grocery budget!