Solo Mother

Happy New Year!

by christina on January 1st, 2008

Did you make your resolutions? Did you swear to lose 20 pounds, go back to school, save $500 a month, volunteer at the pound, the shelter and your kid’s school?

Slow down.

Single mother is a big job. I think we’ve got our hands full just keeping everyone fed and dressed in clean clothes and out the door on time. Don’t set up impossible goals. Think about how long it would take you to accomplish something — say, getting into shape. With a decent diet, a healthy constitution, and a fanatical devotion to the gym, you can be wearing a bikini by June if you’re aim is to drop ten pounds or twenty, and get toned. But if you have 60 pounds to lose, don’t expect to be able to do that by summertime.

Set goals for yourself, yes, but be realistic. Think how you can really do what you’ve set out to accomplish, and set up a time table. Don’t expect you can accomplish something overnight.

An interesting meme going around in the blogosphere is the 101 in 1001 Challenge: 101 things to accomplish in 1001 days, or about 2.75 years. I’ve got some overwhelming goals to accomplish in that list, but more time to do it. One of my goals is to take a family vacation every summer, even if it’s just for a long weekend. Another one is to save $100 a month in a college savings fund for the King of Everything. Doable. But can I really finish my undergrad degree, buy a home, see India and learn another foreign language in less than three years? Who knows.

My New Year’s resolutions are simple in comparison. Be nicer.

What are your goals this year?

Share This

Related Stories

Happy Thanksgiving solomothers!
Happy Father’s Day, single mothers!
Happy Mother’s Day, single moms!
Go easy, Gomer.
What September 11th means to me…

POSTED IN: holidays