So it’s already February (that first month of the year went FAST) but I still thought it was important to take a moment to jot down some of my goals for the new year for our family and myself.

Here’s my new mantra for the year…

Sounds hippie dippie, but it really covers all the bases. Whether it’s taking care of your physical health, finding ways to give back to the world, or creating time to improve your spiritual and emotional self, “finding what feels good” encompasses it all.

With every good goal, you have to have specific ways to achieve it. There is no way I could possibly brainstorm every way to “feel good” but here are a few that I’m focusing on.

*Yoga- Recently I’ve become a little addicted to doing yoga. I’ve always tolerated working out, usually sticking to walking or running on my treadmill, but I’ve never felt super awesome afterwards like I do when I do yoga. Whether it’s the reminders to BREATHE or the fact that I’m made aware of muscles I forgot I had, yoga has been my jam lately. I’m hoping I keep it up, because it feels dang good.

I need this shirt in my life.

*Balance- We all feel messed up when life is out of balance. If you’re all work and no play or all health food and no treats, life just doesn’t feel right. This year I’m focusing on balancing productivity/responsibility with laid back/carefree. If I am working all day at a school, you better believe I’m going to spend my kid-free time later in the day drinking a glass of wine and reading chic lit. If I’ve eaten salads all week for lunch, there is no way I’m turning down tacos and donuts on the weekends. If I’ve done the dishes and folded laundry, the dirty toilets and floors can wait. Ain’t nobody got time for spending their life stressing about every little detail and chore.

Taco Bell for lunch after a bike ride at the park. Balance people!

*Find your happy place- This one is so important for me! Not only should you find your happy place, you should go there! For me it’s the beach. Every time I am at the beach with my family, I can literally feel myself breathing deeper and my mind clearing. It’s next to impossible to be stressed on the beach. It’s where I feel God’s presence and where I cherish hearing my boys laughter the most. So, this year you will be seeing just as many, if not more, beach pics from the Smiths.

Don’t let them fool you, that water is FREEZING in January. #parentoftheyear

*Do good stuff- Seriously. There’s a lot of terrible, ugly stuff going on this year. (If you haven’t noticed.) A lot of people are just plain mean if you don’t think like them, vote like them, or believe like them. I can’t change people’s mind (try as I might) or force people to have compassion (try as I might) but I can show them what it looks like to be a decent person. I can donate my clothes to a charity. I can give spare change to a homeless person. I can pick up someone’s trash. I can make small talk with a stranger. I can bring up my neighbors trashcan. It’s not hard to do good. And, it really feels good.

*Notice and Give Thanks- Finding small reasons to be happy is the key to my joy. I hope 2017 is my year to notice the little moments and cherish them. Whether it’s Brady asking me to help him with his Lego creation (huge honor!) or Nolan holding my hand walking into class (see, he’s still my baby!) I hope I notice it. I hope I notice when Chris refills my wine glass without me asking. I hope I notice when my favorite song comes on the radio 3 times in one day. I hope I still get excited when I see a rainbow, sunset, or dolphin. Being present feels good.

Even little dudes need yoga!

Muah!

That rainbow! That cute kid!

Here’s to a year that’s full of stuff that feels good. I hope this is the year I think back on as the one I traveled someplace new, ate the best pasta ever, became stronger, got thousands of hugs from my kids, read tons of books, grew in my faith, laughed til I snorted with my husband, and made someone else’s life a little sweeter. Namaste y’all!