It’s a cold, wet, dreary day here in Louisiana, and I’m sitting by fire, basking in a few cozy minutes before I get back to accomplishing my daily goals. I had to take Bean to the doc first thing because she woke up with a bad cough, but luckily, her covid test came back negative. However, after spending the morning in the fifth circle of hell, otherwise known as the busy pediatricians’ office, I’m struggling to get over the feeling that my day has already derailed. Instead of getting in my workout, paying some bills, and tackling the laundry pile, I just want to sit here, maybe with a good book, or my knitting and Netflix.

But alas, I can’t give in, which means no more cozy-time until I complete my intended daily goals. As part of my resolutions this year, I finally committed to commit, which sounds kinda silly as I’m typing it. But honestly, as I mulled over my intentions for the year, the concept of “reset” kept surfacing. The past few years brought many, many challenges with them (blessings too), but over time, I found my healthy coping skills worn down significantly. After a while, it seemed easier to blow off good habits and positive routines, because I let any negative or difficult challenge become an excuse to go off the rails…very…very far off the rails.

I think the best way to describe it is toxic apathy mixed with pessimistic resignation, and a heavy sprinkling of “f**k it.” Add in the Dumpster Fire that Was 2020 on top of my already stressed reserves, and…well…I could write the book of how NOT to handle “these unprecedented times,” as every dang commercial seems hell-bent on reminding us. I wasn’t rising above, I was sinking. And come December, I finally had enough.

So, come the first of the year, I was ready to climb out of the hole, and I made “Reset” my made-up theme for 2021. I need to reset my health, my routines, and my attitude. The pandemic isn’t ending anytime soon, and I already know we have even more challenges on the horizon, so I can’t use the “when this is all over”  or “if I can just get past this” excuse to keep putting off the work I need to do.

I vowed to break the concept down into logical small steps that I hope, over time, will rebuild an all-around healthier me. This month’s goals are simple: I committed to a “Dry January,”  spending less time on my phone, and getting in 30 minutes of activity a day, even if it is just walking on the treadmill while I watch trashy shows on Netflix. I guess you could say that, if the year’s theme is reset, the January sub-theme is “creating a foundation.” Every time I’ve made a positive, significant, and lasting change in my life, I did so by starting with a small, manageable goal, and only adding a new one after the first goal stuck. A reward system helped too.

So, that’s the plan for now, and so far, it’s going strong. I’m feeling better, more focused, and motivated, and the small goals prevent the discouragement that can come from trying to do too much too soon. I also feel like I’m getting more accomplished each day.

Now, if I could just muster up more enthusiasm for cleaning. But that’s a goal for another day.