Do You Really Need A New Year to Make a Change?

By Sheba Siddiqui @shebasid & online at: www.shebasiddiqui.com

I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions. I find them to be a waste of time to be quite honest. You make a decision about something in your life you’d like to improve upon and come January 1st, you begin to implement it. And as far as I’ve heard, it usually doesn’t last very long.

That doesn’t make much sense to me. Why wait? Why wait until a particular date to do something new and exciting? Why not start now? That’s how I see it. You want to lose weight? Stop indulging as of right now. Go for a walk this afternoon. Hit the gym tomorrow morning. Stop procrastinating. To me, it almost seems like you’re setting yourself up for failure to tell yourself you’re going to ‘change your life’ on this special day.

I don’t make resolutions. I DO however make goals. Goals are different from resolutions in my mind. They aren’t as commercialized or privy to failure. I’ve always made goals. I remember as young as eight years old, on the last day of school, my mother would sit me down with a notepad and a pen and ask me to write down a few goals I would achieve by the end of summer.

Sleeping in and watching TV never cut it for her so I would have to really think about it. And it felt great at the end of every summer knowing I had achieved what I had written down. I feel that when I actually write something down, it’s tangible. I can look at it, touch it, feel it and I know I’ve officially made a promise to myself. I will let myself down if I break that promise. It’s encouraging and motivating.

Photo: Courtesy Sheba Siddiqui

2013 was a very special year for me. I gave birth to my baby girl. Then again, I’ve had three babies in four years. I recently had someone tell me that every time she sees me, I’m either pregnant or just given birth. Can’t argue with her there.

It’s time I took a break and focused on me. Having three kids ages 4 and under isn’t an easy task. So in 2014, after a few years of giving physically and emotionally, I plan on focusing on myself.

As many of you know, motherhood changes you almost immediately. Your heart explodes with love; you learn just how little sleep you can go on to function semi-normally and you give, give and give. I assume we never stop giving after becoming mothers.

But I do know that I need to focus on myself for a bit. Not only the big things like my career but also the small ones like having an uninterrupted cup of tea in the mornings.

It’s the small things I miss the most about pre-kids. I had a very selfish life beforehand where I did exactly what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it. Be it go out for dinner or travel to the other side of the world at a moment’s notice.

So now, after four very busy years of changing diapers and breastfeeding, I’m ready and looking forward to focusing on myself. Some would say the craziness is yet to come (especially when the kids become teenagers) but you can’t argue that a baby, a toddler and a little boy all come with their own craziness!

It’s been an interesting year with lots of blessings. With 2014 on the horizon, the appeal of the unknown hangs fresh and untouched in front of all of us. I wish you a Happy New Year and hope you achieve all of your goals (not resolutions!) in the coming year.

Do you believe in New Year’s resolutions? Do you succeed at attaining them?

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