Happy New Year

  • Start The Year Off Right With These New Year’s Resolutions

    The start of a new year is a good opportunity to evaluate the previous year and make plans for the future. There are several New Year’s resolutions that might get you started, whether you want to enhance your personal or professional life. I’ve compiled a list of some of the best New Year’s resolutions on our site. I, therefore, offer something for everyone, whether you wish to pick up a new hobby, read more books, or start eating better. I sincerely hope these goals will help you succeed in the upcoming year!

    Establish A New Bedtime Routine

    One of the best New Year’s resolutions you can make is to establish a new bedtime routine. A bedtime routine will help you get more sleep and feel more refreshed in the morning. Here are a few tips for creating a new bedtime routine:

    1. Set a regular bedtime and stick to it. This may be difficult at first, but it will become easier over time.
    2. Avoid watching television or using electronics in bed. The blue light from these devices can disrupt your sleep cycle.
    3. Establish a relaxing bedtime ritual, such as reading or taking a bath.
    4. Avoid eating heavy meals within two hours of going to bed. This can interfere with your ability to fall asleep peacefully.
    5. Get plenty of exercise during the day; this will help you sleep better at night.
    6. Make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet, and cool; all of these factors can help you fall asleep more easily.

    Get In Shape

    So you want to get into shape this new year? Great! There are a few things you can do to make sure you have the best chance at success. First, make sure your goal is realistic. If you’re not in good shape right now, don’t expect to be able to run a marathon next month. Start small and work your way up. Second, find an activity that you enjoy. If you don’t like running, chances are you’re not going to stick with it for very long. Find something that you’ll enjoy doing and will want to do on a regular basis. Finally, set a time limit for yourself. If you give yourself too much time to achieve your goal, you might find yourself getting sidetracked or getting lazy. Set a deadline and make sure you stick to it!

    Eat Healthier

    Make a plan. Plan out your meals for the week and make sure you have plenty of healthy options available. Get organized. Pre-pack your lunches and snacks so you’re not tempted to eat unhealthy foods when you’re on the go. Be prepared for setbacks. Everyone slips up sometimes, but don’t let one mistake turn into a spiral of bad eating habits. Get back on track as soon as possible. Don’t deprive yourself. If you really want something unhealthy, allow yourself to have it, but try to make healthier choices most of the time. Take your time. It can be tough making big changes overnight, so take it slow and make small tweaks over time until you’ve developed healthy new habits.

    Spend More Time With Family and Friends

    One way to help stick to your New Year’s resolution of spending more time with family and friends is to make a plan. Plan out what you will do together, and make sure to include activities that everyone will enjoy. You can also get organized by creating a shared calendar or social media group where everyone can post events and activities they are planning. This will help everyone stay on top of what’s going on and avoid scheduling conflicts. If you do have a busy schedule, try to make time for family and friends whenever you can. Even if it’s just for a quick coffee break or dinner, getting together regularly will help strengthen your relationships. Finally, don’t forget to make time for yourself. Self-care is important in any resolution and getting enough rest will help you stick to your goals.

    Travel More

    This year, make a resolution to travel more. See new places and experience new cultures. There are plenty of great deals to be had for those willing to plan ahead. Use online resources to find affordable flights and hotels, and don’t be afraid to explore off the beaten path. Who knows, you might even find your new favorite vacation spot. And while you’re at it, why not make getting fit part of your New Year’s resolution too? Working out can be a great way to de-stress from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. And getting in shape can help keep you healthy for all the new experiences you’ll have on your travels.

    New Year's Resolutions

    Learn A New Skill Or Hobby

    One New Year’s resolution that’s based on creativity to learn a new skill or hobby. This can be a great way to improve your health and well-being, as well as keep yourself occupied and entertained. There are many different options to choose from, so you’re sure to find something that interests you. Some popular choices include learning how to cook healthy meals, getting into crochet, picking up a new language, or taking up a new sport. Whatever you choose, make sure it’s something that you’ll enjoy and that you’re willing to stick with. Otherwise, it’s likely to fall by the wayside and you’ll be right back where you started at the beginning of the year.

    Save Money

    One of the most popular New Year’s resolutions is to save money. Here are a few money saving tips to help you get started:

    Make a budget and stick to it.
    Cut back on unnecessary expenses.
    Invest in a good savings plan.
    Make sure you’re getting the best deal on your groceries and other everyday items.
    Be mindful of your spending habits.
    Find ways to make extra money.
    Stay disciplined and stay on track.
    Reduce stress levels
    Be more organized
    Drink less alcohol
    Volunteer in the community

    Practice Mindfulness

    Mindfulness is a form of meditation that can help you focus on the present moment and avoid getting overwhelmed by your thoughts. If you’re new to mindfulness, here are a few tips to get started:

    Find a quiet place to sit or recline in.
    Close your eyes and focus on your breath.
    When your mind wanders, gently bring it back to your breath.
    Repeat this process for 10-15 minutes each day.

    As with any new habit, it may take some time before you see results. But if you persevere and practice mindfulness regularly, you should start to see a decrease in stress levels and an increase in peace of mind.

    Read More Books

    Reading is one of the most important things you can do for yourself. It allows you to learn new things, escape from reality, and connect with other people. Plus, it’s a great way to relax and unwind after a long day. If you want to read more books this year, here are a few tips to help you get started: Find a book club to join. There are plenty of online book clubs, as well as groups that meet in person. Joining a book club will keep you accountable and ensure that you make time to read each week. Then set aside some time each day specifically for reading. This could be 30 minutes before bed, or an hour during your lunch break. If you make reading a priority, you’ll find it’s much easier to stick to your goal. Lastly, browse the new releases section at your local bookstore or library. There are always new and exciting books being released, so you’re sure to find something that catches your eye.

    Increase Your Water Intake

    Did you know that the human body is composed of over 60% water? And yet, so many people go through their day without drinking nearly enough. Even mild dehydration can lead to decreased productivity, poor concentration, and a host of other problems. So this new year, resolve to drink more water. It regulates our body temperature, cushions and protects our organs, and helps to transport nutrients and oxygen to our cells. Drinking enough water every day has many benefits, including:

    Increased energy and productivity
    improved concentration
    better skin complexion
    stronger immune system
    regulated metabolism

    New Year's Resolutions

    Learn To Stop Procrastinating

    The new year is an ideal time to make new resolutions and set new goals. However, one of the most common resolutions people make is to stop procrastinating, yet it can often be one of the hardest to keep! Procrastination can take many forms, from avoiding hard tasks to falling down a social media rabbit hole. To break this cycle and make New Year’s resolutions a reality, it’s important to find strategies that will help you stay focused and productive.

    One effective technique is to break large tasks into smaller chunks, as this makes them easier to manage. Additionally, setting achievable goals with rewards when they’re achieved can be helpful in motivating yourself. Finally, creating a schedule or routine can help to keep you on track and make sure that important tasks are completed. Taking small steps to tackle procrastination can go a long way in helping you achieve this goal.

    Declutter Your Home

    One way to set new year resolutions for decluttering is to start small. Begin with a room or area and focus on what you can realistically accomplish in the time you have available. Break down your goal into smaller tasks, such as sorting through items and deciding what can be kept, donated, or thrown away.

    Another way to make new year resolutions for decluttering is to set a timeline. Establishing a timeline may help you stay focused and motivated, as it gives you something to look forward to and measure your progress against. Setting milestones along the way can also be beneficial; this will break up the process into more manageable chunks. With realistic goals in place, you can get organized and create a more peaceful living environment.

    Give Yourself More Compliments

    As we start a new year, many of us think of new year resolutions to improve our lives. One resolution that doesn’t get enough attention is giving yourself compliments. We often criticize ourselves for minor mistakes or imperfections, but it’s important to remember the positive qualities we possess and acknowledge our accomplishments. A great new year resolution is to make a list of all the positive qualities you possess and to read that list out loud each day. This will help remind you to give yourself credit for your hard work and accomplishments, giving yourself a much-needed boost in confidence. Additionally, take time to recognize the small successes throughout each day—every little “win” counts!

    Removing Negative People From Your Life

    Cutting off toxic people in your life is something you should strive to do in the new year. Toxic people can make your life miserable and can hold you back from achieving success in all aspects of your life. By removing them from your life you will be able to create a peaceful and healthy environment that is conducive to personal growth and development. It doesn’t mean that you have to completely sever all ties with them, but it does mean that you need to take steps to limit your contact and involvement with them. You can start by setting boundaries – such as agreeing not to talk about certain topics or telling them in advance when you won’t be available for a call. If necessary, you should also take measures such as blocking their calls or emails. Surrounding yourself with positive people and avoiding those who are negative can make a huge difference to your outlook and help you achieve your New Year’s resolutions.

    Use Planners To Keep Organized

    The new year is a time for new beginnings, and one of the most popular resolutions is to get organized. There are a lot of different ways to do this, but one of the simplest and most effective methods is to use a planner. Planners can help you keep track of everything from your appointments and deadlines to your to-do list and grocery shopping. They can also help you stay on track with your goals and priorities.

    New Year's Resolutions

    Goals that help you improve your health, happiness, and life overall can be tricky to stick to – but they certainly don’t have to be! Having patience and a clear plan of attack – which might include breaking down larger goals into smaller achievable steps – can help you turn your New Year’s resolutions into achievable realities.

  • 7 Tips To Help You Stick to Your New Year’s Resolutions

    Every year, millions of people start the year with New Year’s resolutions that are intended to make their life a little better. Many people, plan to work out more, save money, and overall just get our shit together for the new year. As usual, folks get off to a great start but after a few weeks, the desire to continue to stick to your new year’s resolutions begins to fade. Listen, I don’t keep most of my resolutions past March, so there’s that. And as a result, lots of folks (myself included) lose confidence or become depressed for not accomplishing their New Year’s resolutions but it doesn’t have to end that way.

    To prevent that from happening here are seven tips to help you stick to your New Year’s resolutions:

    Stick to Your New Year's Resolutions mommyrandr

    Set Realistic Goals

    Having high expectations for yourself is good, provided you don’t go overboard. This is what many people are guilty of, myself included. We tell ourselves we’re gonna do a, b, c, x, y, and z, and ultimately end up not accomplishing shit. Why? Cause we set our own selves up for failure by aiming too high for impossible goals. However, realistic goals are achievable. Instead of setting a goal to read 100 books in a year, start by setting a goal to read a couple of minutes each day. No matter how busy you are, this is something that you can do if you are passionate about improving your knowledge or reading more books in general.

    Starting small doesn’t mean you lack as a person. It’s actually a smart decision to figure out how much you can handle based on your dreams and your routine life. In fact, small accomplishments will help you find happiness and also motivate you to continue to work towards the next step of the resolutions.

    Use The Buddy System

    Having someone or a group of people to hold you accountable will encourage you to keep your resolution going all year long. No matter your resolution have someone in your corner who you can count on to cheer your milestones (big and small) and also call out if you start falling off track. Remember, this is a two-way street in which you’re pushing each other to win. Now if you come to a situation over time when your buddy isn’t being positive and happy for the strides you’ve made then it might be time to seek out someone who is. No one wants or needs a Debbie Downer or worse a hater in their corner.  

    Set Reminders

    We have a lot of things going on at once and trying to remember everything is damn near impossible. Thankfully, technology makes it easier to get daily reminders of the things we need to do. Now you won’t forget to follow through with your goals. And don’t be afraid to set follow-up reminders especially if you know you’re the type to say, eh I’ll do that in the next 10 minutes. By the way, it’s me, I’m the type to say that, and you are too – set that extra reminder.

    Keep Track of Your Progress

    It really is motivating to see all the progress you’ve made so far, even if it’s only been a few weeks. It’s going to encourage you to continue on your path until you reach your goal. Remind yourself of all your hard work by posting your progress where you can see it. On your bathroom mirror, the fridge, in your journal, or on your phone. Every time you look at it it’s going to show you where you started and how far you’ve come since you began. It’s the ultimate motivational booster.

    Focus On The Positives

    Are you going to have setbacks on your way to achieving your goals? Yeah, everyone does. No one sets a goal and then poof in a blink of an eye they’ve achieved it. Nah. That shit takes blood, sweat, and tears which includes setbacks. But don’t focus on that. Learn from it yes, but don’t let it deter you from getting to the finish line. Focus on where you are and how much hard work it took for you to get there not the 2 steps back from a month ago. Let the positive lead you to where you wanna be.

    Keep Trying Don’t Give Up

    Okay, so you set a goal, and guess what? You’re starting to slack off, things aren’t going exactly as planned, or worse you failed. That’s fine, cause that’s life. But the thing you have to remember is don’t stop trying. If you got lazy shake that shit off. Get your mind and body back in the game. If a door closes in the front go around the back to see if that door is open. Also, if you have to scrap and redo your plan in order for it to work better, do it. Do you fail? Alright. Be like Aaliyah and dust that shit off and try again. Do what you gotta do (legally) to reach your end goal.

    And most importantly…

    Don’t Doubt Yourself

    Never for a second doubt that you can’t do it, cause you can, and you WILL. I believe in YOU.

  • Happiness Is My 2019 Word of the Year – It’s Time to Remove My Mask

    word of the year happiness valerie pierre mommyrandr

    My word for 2019 is happiness.

    I have a confession to make and it’s gonna shock the shit outta you. Are you ready? Okay, here goes – I’m not happy. I honestly don’t remember the last time I was truly happy. I know you see me all jokey n’ shit but most days it’s just a mask.

    I’ve been faking the funk and it’s taking a toll on me, and I’m tired y’all.

    I’m. Fucking. Tired.

    What’s making me unhappy?

    Honestly speaking, it’s my home life. Specifically, where I live and who I live with. No, it’s not Jeff and the kids. You see, I live with my in-laws and the clash of age, culture, and common sense leaves me wanting to scream. But instead of fighting yet another battle I know I’ll never win, (cause common sense never prevails) I bottle it up, keep quiet and go on about my day. That is until I boil over and start taking my frustrations out on those closest to me – Jeff and the kids. If I could afford to visit my therapist I’m pretty sure she would diagnose me with some form of depression. That’s how bad it is.

    How do I know? Cause like most people with an internet connection I looked up depression on WebMD and I found that I suffer from 10 out of 13 symptoms. Some of which include: fatigue, feeling hopeless, trouble concentrating, and irritability to name a few. I can go through a range of emotions that leave me feeling just plain out of it. I feel trapped within the walls of my body and the walls of this house, and I need to break free but there’s no place to break free to.

    How long have I been wearing a mask?

    Who the hell knows, but I know the mask has gotten thicker and right now it’s so heavy I can hardly hold my head up. So much so, it’s causing a number of issues hence the reason for my new year’s health and wellness goals. I’m sick of existing like this. I need to make a change and fast.

    How the hell do I find my happiness?

    The most obvious thing is to move. We know this and we’ve been working on it. Trust me. Our new goal, come hell or high water is to be out by the end of the school semester. But in the meantime, another obvious place to look for happiness is within me.

    I hear a lot of people talking about speaking things into existence. Well, here’s another truth bomb, privately I’ve been speaking very negatively about everything in my life. So how can I expect the universe to give me any positivity when I haven’t put any out in the world? It took a long time for me to understand that I control my happiness.

    My problem was I was pointing fingers at those around me for the cause of my misery. I cannot look for others to give me something that only I can give myself. I also can’t expect Jeff to add my happiness to his to-do list. He’s got enough shit to deal with as provider for our family. I need to get my ass on a white horse and save myself.

    word of the year happiness valerie pierre mommyrandr

    After some research I’ve found six ways I can start bringing happiness back into my life:

    Wake up with positivity

    The first thing I’ve started telling myself when I wake up is, “Today is gonna be a great day.” or “I’m gonna get a lot done today.”  These positive affirmations set the tone for the day. If I’m thinking and speaking positively there’s no room for me dwell on the negative.

    Be grateful

    This is a biggie. One, while I complain about where I live and with whom I need to be grateful I have a place to live. Others aren’t so fortunate. Two, I’m not living here alone. I have Jeff and the kids. They should be my only focus and I need to enjoy spending time with them and not worrying about the other people I live with.

    Go back to therapy

    Therapy can be expensive. Those co-pays add up. But I need to go at least once a month to talk to someone about my thoughts and feelings. Keeping them bottled up is no way to live and it’s not fair to my family to emotionally unload on them. And if I can’t get to therapy I need to open myself more to Jeff in a way that’s not offputting so that we both can get things off of our chests and work on a solution together.

    Update my vision board

    I’ve had the same vision board for at least 5 years. I look at it every day but I don’t really look at it. Which is why I’m gonna toss it and start anew. I’ve already started flipping through old mags and I see I’m more drawn to visuals that invoke happiness and serenity. I’m going to decorate my work area with peaceful imagery as a way to surround myself with happiness.

    Do things that I love

    I’ve gotten into the habit of making time for things and people that bring me joy. I love ending my day reading an article or book chapter, going to meditation on Friday mornings, and spending Sunday’s in bed with Jeff watching Netflix. These things help me find the inner peace I need in order to make it through the week.

    Celebrate achievements

    No matter how big or how small all achievements need to be celebrated. Like cleaning out the boxes of crap in the closet, Jeff getting a job in a new career, our 10 year wedding anniversary, Sierra receiving glowing remarks from all her teachers, and Lil’ Jeff’s speech improvements. This also includes daily achievements like the kids cleaning their room or putting laundry away. It’s all about keeping it positive.

    Choosing happiness for my word of the year was an easy choice. The moment the word hit me I and started seeing how the word made me feel I knew it was the right decision. And these are things I’m going to stop doing once we move? No. I’m going to keep doing them cause no matter where we go it’s important that I’m living my happiest life.

    What are you doing to ensure your happiness this year? What’s your word for the year?