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My School Year's Resolutions

By Robin Kaye


For the first time all summer, I have all three of my kids home and I’m having a hard time setting limits. I haven’t seen my Boy Scout for 8 weeks and look forward to our late night talks, Twinkle Toes gets so little Mom time during the year, I need to take advantage of the 31 days she’ll be home before school and dance pull her away again. And my youngest is walking that tight wire between childhood and becoming a young adult—a precarious time at best, so for the next month, I’m busy being mom 24/7.

My husband and I like to take advantage of having the whole family together, and this summer, I’ve seen the kids enjoy it too. I guess all the years of family dinners (no TV, no toys at the table, no excuses to cut out early) have really paid off. When I talked to the kids about what they want to do while we’re all home together, the one thing everyone has mentioned was to have as many family dinners together as they possible. I’m so glad they treasure family time. It’s important to all of us, and it’s something that my husband and I have worked hard to instill in our children. Still, no matter how much I love having my kids around, part of me looks forward to the first day of school.

To me, the first day of school is like the first day of the New Year. It’s a great time for making resolutions. It’s the time when the family gets into some sort of routine, which is great for making new habits and improving old ones.

Once the kids go back to school, I’ll have my office to myself. I look forward to getting on the Wii and beginning my workout routine afresh. I will no longer feel guilty about letting it go. I’m just going to concentrate on the things I can improve.

I went to a great workshop at Nationals put on by Michelle Butler, Tawny Webber, and Trish Milburn. They have a wonderful blog called The Healthy Writer Blog and I’ve decided to take a page out of Michelle Butler’s book and give myself a year. I’m going to do things to keep myself healthy and if it ends up with me losing weight—that would be great. If it just makes me happier and healthier—that works too.

I will have six and one half hours a day to devote to my writing and myself. Every day I will start fresh.
My goals are to:

• Work out on my Wii
• Walk on my treadmill desk while I work
• Take my dog for a walk
• Keep track of what I eat on a great website and iPhone app called
My Fitness Pal.
• Keep track of my workout.

There is nothing earth shattering in my plan, it’s clean, it’s simple and by starting fresh every day, I have a great chance for success. My husband put together a spreadsheet to help me keep track of my writing progress and he’s going to add a page for my workout progress. I’m going to work hard to keep track of my success but not let the lack of success equal failure.

I’m looking forward to making changes in my life at a time of new beginnings for the whole family. I’m going to celebrate all my successes, and the new habits I’m forming. Sometimes change is a good thing!

So, for all of you who have kids going back to school, do you look at it as a new beginning? If you had a School Year’s Resolution, what would it be?

Comments

  1. Good luck with your resolutions, Robin. I have a treadmill, too, and I can put my computer on it, but do I use it every day? In a word, NO!

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  2. Hey great resolutions, Robin! Mine are--get my AC fixed. It's 100 degrees every day and it decides to go out on me. And get my computer fixed. Luckily my laptop is working, but what a mess. :(

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  3. Unfortunately, writing encourages me in my tendencies to be sedentary and to self-isolate, neither of which is healthy.

    Recently I decided that I had to start living a life that was in better balance. Of course all the reasons I tend to be sedentary and to isolate are still there, so it's taking some doing to make any sort of effective change.

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  4. Cheryl~

    Yeah, I'm sitting on my treadmill right now when I could be walking and writing. I need coffee first, I still haven't completely recovered from my vacation!

    Terry~

    Good luck with the AC and computer. They just might be related. At least you can take your laptop to Starbucks and sit in the AC and write.

    MM~ You should check out the healthy writers blog. They do some talking about balance for a sedentary solitary writer. I just love that blog.

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  5. I think because I was a teacher for so many years I do see the beginning of the school year as the beginning of the year. I don't make resolutions, but I definitely try to set some goals and plans for accomplishing future projects.

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  6. Way to go Robin! I am proud of you for being so determined and diligent. And thanks for sharing the app! I will be looking into that for sure. I need discipline in the areas of fitness so that might help me too :-)

    Keep us posted on your success.

    And I know what you mean about summer and then school. I love having my kids about, even if they aren't really "kids" anymore. Yet it is always nice when they are away, even if just for a few hours, so I can have total silence in the house and no distractions. Heaven!

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  7. Great goals, Robin. I need to get into an exercise routine. I used to walk 3.5 miles every day, but it's been so hot, I haven't wanted to leave the house.

    I'm usually bored and ready to go back to work/school this time of year, but I'm not looking forward to it, yet. I love my job. I've just had a busy summer so no time to get bored and miss it. My only child will be a senior in high school this year. I don't know what I'm going to do with myself when he goes off to college next year. That's a change I'm not looking forward to.

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  8. Shana~

    Goals are great! I have such great respect for teachers. I home schooled my daughter for 2 years and that was by far the hardest job I've ever had. Though, I have to admit, it was also one of the most wonderful.

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  9. Hi Sharon~

    I definitely need to make a change. I have a plan, not so sure about success, but I know where I'm going so that's an improvement.

    I do like the app. It's very helpful and better yet, it's easy to use!

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  10. Olivia~

    I'm with you when it comes to the heat. I have been dying this summer! I haven't wanted to leave the house in a few months!

    My oldest is going into his Jr. year. We held him back a year in Idaho to get him into the private school's kindergarten. He had a late birthday anyway so it wasn't a big deal. Now I'm soooo glad I did. I don't think either of us would be ready to move on in one year.

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  11. Great post, Robin! I love everything about Back to School, but mainly because I can get so many office supplies very cheap ;) I try to make resolutions each summer, but it seems like they end up coming to fruition in the late Summer/early Fall... like my resolution to walk more outside probably won't happen for another few weeks because of the heat, but who wants to walk in unbearable weather? Good luck with your goals--I know you'll reach them!

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  12. Robin,
    Another great blog--where do you get these from? Goals/resolutions wow . . . I always try to start off January with a fresh start but the more I think about it, Aug/Sept is really the time I get my second wind. Summer is usually more hectic for me (keeping up withe my girls-one in college now and one a Sophomore in HS) but with a schedule again it is time to set my goals.
    I try for small tasks, like taking my power walk first thing in the morning--gets my blood and brain going. But with the heat I haven't had the time (treadmill is just not the same and I get interupted by family issues). Then I make sure I have breakfast before conquering the daily household tasks. From 11-2 is my writing time before picking up high schooler and having to function as 'Mom' again. These help me to stay on track. Some people work better when their is a schedule--I fall into that category.

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  13. Great plan, Robin.
    Simple just might work for me too. :}

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