Personal Resolutions for 2018

Happy 2018 friends!   If you’re following my blog or Instagram you too might be a 30 something gal a bit wrapped up in the thick of things.   It can be a trying decade of life.   Someone in their 30’s may be trying to get ahead financially, adapt to the exhaustion of parenthood, finance a forever home, or deal with ailing parents.  The 30’s are a time of rapid life changes so I wanted to share some resolutions for a 30 something in collaboration with Nike.

Nike is a brand I’ve been wearing since well before I started purposefully exercising 2 decades ago.   There are some new trends in athleisure that I really love that I’m including in this outfit.   Toward the bottom of the post I share other patterned leggings and tops with unique back details.   Scroll down to check them out!

Did you make New Year’s Resolutions This Year?

I usually do not make New Year’s resolutions.  Every single day I try to evaluate what I have to be grateful for and how I can improve when I’m not feeling this way.

While in my 20’s my New Year’s resolutions were probably something like “have less hangovers” and “learn how to apply eyeshadow” (which is a work in progress).   Fast forward, I’m now more focused on fostering my relationships – with myself and those close to me.

Don’t Call it a Goal – Call it a Plan.

In general I’d consider myself fairly driven and I love the saying “don’t wish for it, work for it”.   When I want something – not a lot stops me from getting there.   It doesn’t take a date on the calendar to push me in the right direction.   That said – I do reevaluate the direction I’m headed around this time of year.

 

Spend more time with aging parents

My Dad has had a tough go with his health.   He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in his 40’s and was forced into early retirement just over 20 years ago.   His ailing physical state is now compounded by dementia.

He requires 24 hour care and my SAINT of a step mom does the majority of it.   I can see she’s getting lonely and needs a break so I will do better to accommodate that.    Do you have ailing parents?   It can be tough to watch the people who took care of you need the favor returned.

My mom has had recent health issues as well so we have opted not to take a Winter vacation this year to be stay close to family.

Give each child one on one attention

My kids can really exhaust me, mentally.   I put a lot of pressure on myself in motherhood even though I still don’t consider myself the maternal type.   Since it was my own decision to stay home with my kids, I feel guilty when being a homemaker feels stressful.   Growing up I didn’t think too much about my adult life but my mom worked outside the house so I figured I’d do the same.

When my husband gets home from work I want to run and hide for a half hour (or more).   I get a lot of 1:1 time with my younger son when the older one is at school but the older one rarely gets alone time with me.   So I need to do better and set aside more time to focus on him, alone.   His behavior improves so much when I do.

Let go of what steals your joy

Whether it’s a friend or a job or something else – if you can’t enjoy the relationship consider letting it go.  Obviously not everyone can let go of a job they don’t like.   Think creatively – you might start making steps to make that a reality down the road.

Cozy up the living space

I bought my first house when I was 25.   Since I always assumed it was my starter home I never put much thought or effort into decorating it.    Two years ago we moved to a more family friendly neighborhood and while it wasn’t our dream house it was the location we wanted to be in.

Rather than waiting until we are ready to sell our home to fix it up (as so many people do) I’m working now to make our house into our dream home.    If our dream house were on the market I don’t think we would move because we love our location so much.    I’ve been sharing more home content on Instagram and Facebook and hope to add more to the blog in 2018.

Preventative medicine works best

Foster a relationship with your health!!!   After having kids and being married my fitness goals have shifted.    I don’t aim for abs – I aim for gaining healthy years ahead and sleeping better.

As someone who just retired from 8 years in cardiology I can tell you lifestyle choices have the greatest impact on health.  Healthy eating and moderate, regular exercise are much easier to stomach when you see the alternative.   I took care of thousands of patients that saw me as a result of lack of exercise, poor dietary choices, and/or smoking.  If you tune in on Instagram stories I share some of my workouts on there.   Some of you asked me to share a few here so I’m adding some PINable images below.  Follow my Pinterest fitness board here.

Because childcare is an issue for me almost all of my workouts are under an hour and many require no equipment.   I often run on a treadmill which allows me to control speeds and inclines.   See a quick treadmill workout below.

PIN THESE WORKOUTS

My favorite workouts are bootcamp classes.   Lately I most often workout on my own at a gym because of the childcare.   I should explore the classes my gym offers but I like showing up on my own time.   Are you someone, like me, who does better with someone pushing them?

Shop My Look

Jacket (wearing XS), Tank (wearing XS), Sports Bra (wearing small), Leggings (wearing XS), Sneakers (true to size)

If you’re my age (36 in days) Nike is probably a brand you’ve been wearing for more than 3 decades!   I have collected lots of Nike shoes and leggings over the years and they’ve all held up well.   Can we talk about these swirl leggings?   I have never seen anything like them.   They’re cute enough to wear around town on days when I’m dressed for a grocery “run” rather than a workout.

Other Patterned Leggings You Might Like:

I love that these comfy sneakers don’t tie.    That’s a time saver when I’m running out the door with the kids in the morning.  There are so many great sneakers to choose from it was hard to narrow it down to a few favorites:

The fleece jacket is perfect for the gym or any casual weekend outfit.   I love the high collar.   The tank I chose shows off the strappy sports bra.  Nike has so many tops with fun back details.    Here are a few of my other favorites:

I’d love to hear your resolutions!

Did you make any resolutions, fitness or otherwise?   Drop a comment below – I love hear from you guys.   I am also making an effort to share EASY but healthy recipes I’ve tested on Facebook and Instagram stories if you’re interested.

Thanks so much for stopping by!!

Thank you to Nike and ShopStyle for sponsoring this post.