What’s Your Word?, a Revisit to Resolutions

Chel Owens

‘Round-about the beginning of 2022, we said a bad word: resolutions. After washing our mouths out and sitting in timeout, I proposed a different approach to New Year’s Resolutions. The idea was to pick a word to summarize 2021 and a new one to begin 2022.

Last year’s word was Complete.

This, for 2022, is Control.

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Now that we’re halfway two-thirds of the way through the year, I wish to revisit and reassess my word. Have I taken control as I wished? Did I kick a few drivers out and steer this rocky minivan to destinations on my list?

I didn’t specifically state goals for fear they wouldn’t come true -but I had them. They included: to lose all the pregnancy weight (maybe even get back to my ideal!), find balance between tasks and leisure, remodel the freakin’ house, work a side job while the kids go to day care or school, get a handle on our budget, have a system for the housework, be kind, improve my momming of certain difficult offspring, and go to Europe with the family.

I’ve learned that stating resolutions isn’t a masochistic practice meant to trigger a depressive spiral involving Bunny Tracks ice cream. It’s a form of accountability, like a gym buddy.

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In that sense, you are all my swolemates. So, how did I do?

  1. Lose the pregnancy weight.
    Thanks to a group diet challenge from March 27th till May 22, I lost 30 pounds. That was also thanks to MyFitnessPal, personal dedication, and Kevin’s support. My graph has looked like a cardiogram over the summer, but I managed to drop another 15. I went from 195 in March to a record low of 149.8 in August.
  2. Find balance between tasks and leisure.
    This may be a lifetime task. I have given myself much more grace, pausing in the day for ten minutes on a quick app game or for a couple of hours to read a book.
  3. Remodel the freakin’ house.
    The house we moved to has several building code violations. It needed immediate changes, like cement poured in the basement and a furnace put in. We also have eight people crammed into three bedrooms.
    We’ve poured the floor, installed HVAC, filled a giant dumpster five times, worked on framing a room downstairs for the business, and met with an architect to draw up our dream plans. Let’s see if we’re up to code by this time next year!
  4. Work a side job and farm out the kids.
    Since school began on August 25th, I’m a cafeteria worker again. Costs do not match up, however, so I’ll be dropping that and trying something more financially sound.
  5. Get a handle on our budget.
    This is also an ongoing task. Life’s expensive.
  6. Be kind.
    Don’t say anything, Geoff.
  7. Improve my momming with the difficult ones.
    My poor kids. Maybe I can try a knot around one finger. I think I’ll always feel this needs work, but I can certainly put more effort here -like, try not to snap at them after interrupting this blog post for the umpteenth time.
  8. Go to Europe with the family.
    Kevin and I talked about doing this …up until meeting with contractors about the cost of remodeling this old house. We will set our sights a little lower and save for a one-time drive out to Disney World next year. Maybe we can stay with family on the way.

Despite the massive word load above, I’m a private person. But I’m trying an unstated resolution to not be embarrassed at being my own cheerleader. Self-confidence and all that, right?

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So, publicly or privately, I encourage you to do the same. Look over your year (if you had a word or no) and see how things have come along. Have you accomplished what you wished?

There’s still time, though even that is proving more fleeting and precious as I age.

—–

Week in review:

Thursday, September 1: “Welcome Back!”
AND The Terrible Poetry Contest beginning. Please enter. Please please please please…

Friday, September 2: Friday Photo. Take Meowt.

Saturday, September 3: A poem for Colleen’s Tanka Tuesday.

Sunday, September 4: Quote by Maryam Hasnaa.

Monday, September 5: Mormon Monday: I dress modestly; and fancy, for church.

Tuesday, September 6: “That Ole Road of Life, I Think“

Wednesday, September 7: Today.

©2022 Chel Owens

48 thoughts on “What’s Your Word?, a Revisit to Resolutions”

  1. Well, you’re making progress on your goals, it seems. That requires some determination and discipline.

    As for me, I have no real goals. I’m just drifting. That’s a nice thing about being retired.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. lol farm the kids out hehe!

    Great word, I love the word control because a lot of times I find it used negatively (to describe someone’s negative trait) but I can also see it as a calming state- controlled breathing and controlled thoughts… opposite of frantic and erratic…

    Good job on the weight loss- more so the part about feeling good and being healthy as opposed to simply celebrate the weight lost. 💓🙌

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks! Believe you me, the kids are doing lots of work as well!! They keep telling me how I’ve ruined summer or ruined after school.

      Yes, I’m aiming for that level of control. 🙂 Let’s hope it keeps working.

      Thank you! Yes, it needs to be healthy or it won’t stick!

      Liked by 1 person

  3. HI Chel, it is interesting to read your goals. Your weight, 67.9 kg, sounds good to me. I am about 65 kg and have no inclination to get thinner at all. As for the rest, well aside from the house remodeling (I would never do that!), those are goals most of us are working on.

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    1. I’m about at my ideal weight. I would like to go down another 10 so that when I return to normal eating I will be at 145 lbs. Are you about my height? I’m 5’8″ (1.47 meters).

      I suspected that, of the other goals :/

      Liked by 1 person

  5. I admire your being so open about your goals and your progress towards them.

    more specifically, congrats on the weight loss and the remodeling, and I wish you success as you pursue your other goals. as you note, some of these are ongoing, but slow steady improvement can make a big difference…

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  6. Bravo to you for reassessing all your goals, Chel. You should feel good about all of your successes. Life is hard, and raising kids in today’s world… Wow! We raised five, and I often look back and wonder how we survived. If we would have had to deal with a pandemic and all there is today… I don’t know. 💜

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  7. You are an inspiration, Chel. If there’s one thing I’ve lacked it’s self-discipline. If I make a plan, it’s cursed. So, I have to try to creep up on an idea for change and take it by surprise.

    Yes, I’ve been considering putting aside a set time to read more books (and also listen to podcasts. Walking is good for podcast listening.) I have a romantic notion for this coming Winter to walk to an old English pub and take a seat next to its roaring log fire and just read a bit. I’ll probably fall asleep or something.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Ha ha! Still, that sounds like a wonderful place to take a nap.

      I love your description: creep up on an idea for change and take it by surprise. I definitely hit a chord with myself by doing the group challenge. Maybe that would work for you, too.

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Can I ask what kind you want to be?
    As for goals, you are bringing up umpteen children; any semblance of control in your life simply speaks to your suitability to be a professional despot. You are brilliant to squeeze all that in and you are intelligent enough to know. So own it.
    I don’t do goals; stuff happens and I pants my way through. Anyway the Vet organises most of the important facets of our lives; all the rest is cooking.
    It is good to have you back, you know. And if you don’t end up in London sometime…

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    1. Good answer. Erm… question. 😀

      Professional despot sounds right. Thank you.

      Surely you’ve some goals -I mean, you publish things. You garden lots of things. You take vacations.

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      1. It’s perspective, isn’t it. You’re right in all you say in what I aim for but I suppose I know I’ll do them some time, just not when. They feel pre-scripted into my life as it were. For me the setting of goals is around things like fitness and, bloody hell, well done you on finding a svelte Chel in there and bringing her out. Or eating well. But these are permanent, recurrent matters that have been on my charge sheet for years and don’t feel like the concept that is invested in a NY resolution.
        And I’m sad to say that my flippancy will not allow me to chose a word of the year, unless it’s flossing or persiflage… I spent sooooo many years as a lawyer fighting the urge to put a whoopee cushion on the senior partner’s chair or inserting the word twiddle fifteen times in a construction contract to built a 1 million square foot European HQ for an American bank that, now I’ve left all that behind, I’ve had to release the beast and allow anything sensible to leak out of my ears overnight so I’m ready for a new day of egregious puns and bizarre recollections.

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        1. 😀 😀 I do think this is why we connect. But, really, that’s why we both enjoy Adams.

          You inspired names for my story that’s posting tomorrow, anyway. So there’s that.

          Interesting about the pre-scripted bit as well. I think you’re right. I’ve tried to force some of that … and still, what will be stayed in its position and taunts me now with, “I told you so.”

          Liked by 1 person

  10. Sounds like you are doing well at your aims. In life there’s always room to remodel- Jeez, that reads a little twee, but whatever. I do recommend a little travel, there is a big wide world out there, but it don’t come cheap.
    Want another bad pun, apropos of me at the moment; ‘weight, there’s more!’

    Liked by 1 person

  11. Hmmm…I didn’t make my usual resolutions this year. I just wanted to keep fighting cancer and stay alive. (My cancer has returned twice since January and I’m currently on a new form of chemotherapy). But, I’m still here. So I’ve been successful!
    When you live with a reoccurring terminal disease you learn to just pack in as much as possible on good days. Every good day I feel is an accomplishment of that goal. I lived to reach 73 and I got to see both my grandchildren start middle school. I have lived to watch my oldest son on a weekly sports TV show and my youngest son was promoted to a more prestigious position at his. My French Cousin (The only remaining descendant of my French family who survived The Nazis during WWII will be flying in from Paris to meet my sister and I in December. It’s a miracle! So, I’ve been very blessed this year when it comes to goals. It doesn’t get much better than that!

    Liked by 1 person

      1. Chelsea, Not sure you are aware… I have responded to your posts about ten times and you never received them or they never got posted. This was my last try. I think it worked because it was short.I usually have a lot to say because when I’m sick I can’t write. So when I am up to the task, I tend to be wordy. I responded to your two previous post too and you didn’t get them. Just letting you know…

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  12. I also like setting goals but tend to be pretty private about most of them. I’ve read some books that recommend stating one’s goals ahead publicly before beginning. I think the reasoning is that adds another layer of responsibility. I see it as unnecessary pressure, and people will inevitably keep asking how some goal is coming along. That’s one downside of putting it all out there, but everyone needs to figure out what works best for them.

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