A Year in Review

Why have I chosen now to make these changes in my life and start to rediscover who I am.  Well over the last year we have lost a couple of people close to us, all who have been taken before their time and it makes you realise that life is too short, and that you need to make sure you are doing things that make you happy everyday and spend quality time with those that you love.

This last year has seen me do lots of things, been very busy, and to an extent a social recluse.  I seem to always be telling my kids "in a minute" and feeling very overwhelmed by everything that we HAVE to do. 

• I work full time
• Weekends are filled with coaching and managing either my sons rugby or cricket teams
• Building and renovating at our farm
• Chairperson of the School parents association
• Sewing Kapa Haka uniforms for the school
• Organising Fundraising Events

None of these things seem to include, fun, family, friends and although I am doing things for my kids indirectly through school, I don't seem to be spending a lot of quality time with my kids and husband or myself.  This has resulted in:

• An cluttered and messy house
• Chaos
• Stress
• Little time for enjoyment
• Few friends
• Health issues
• A never ending to do list

So this all has to stop.  My goals for the coming year are:

1. Balance - bring back the simplicity of life.  Remove all those things from my life that don't matter.  Organise the house, remove clutter, learn to say no.
2. Celebrate - celebrate my femininity.  With a house of boys the feminine things in life seem to have disappeared.  Where a dress more often, have flowers in the house, and make the boys do somethings I want to do.
3. Create - put time aside each week to be creative, whether it be sewing, writing, crafts just because.
4. Experience - Have more fun and enjoy.  Make time each week to try something new or participate in activites that I enjoy. 
5. Heal - look after myself, loose weight, do more exercise.
6. Love - and be Loved.  Spend more quality time with my family and friends.  Appreciate them.

My Free To Be Year

A lot of women loose themselves along the way, they become someone's wife, someone's mother, someone's colleague, someone's Coach and then before you know it we have forgotten who we are.  That is me.  I have lost my way, not really knowing who I really am anymore because all my time is taken being something to someone else.

Don't get me wrong, I love being a wife and mother and love my work but it can get all too much and I often find that I no longer have time for me. 

Well this is all about to change.  I have declared the next year to be Free to Be Me Year.  Starting early as New Year's resolutions never work out.  It is my year to participate in those things in life that I want to, remember the things I loved to do when I had time, enjoy my family instead of manage it and discover new things that help define me as a person.  Spend more time with my family, my friends and get back to the simple and balanced.  Redefine what is important in life and become more organised.

A tall order I feel but worth a shot.  I know that at the end of it I will be a better wife, mother,sister, daughter, friend.  I will have hopefully taught my boys about being individuals and hanging on to those things we love.  I will have also taught them to take the time to enjoy.  That is my mission. Now to set some goals.