Ericka: Resolutions 1/3/2014

It's a New Year, so why not take this time to reflect on the good and the bad of 2013, and resolve to do better in 2014.

2013:
The Good:

• 9 weddings. While that seems exhausting, and it was, it was also quite beautiful to be among the few who were selected to witness such a loving commitment between 2 people. 
• My son- humble brag alert: Deuce has proven to be a force to be reckoned with. He is intelligent, funny, silly, inquisitive, loquacious, and bad as hell. The boy's vocabulary has expanded from about 10 words by the time he turned 1 to communicating using 7-8 word sentences by the time he turned 2 in November. Some of the words have been choice words, and while it can be quite embarrassing, he sure knows how to use the words and phrases appropriately. At first blamed I my dad for my child's foul language, but after taking an inventory of my own communication skills, I realized I am to blame too. But then again, I am my dad's child, so it's still his fault! I am so proud of my little boy, and he embodies the phrase "Love is you."
• My husband- Chris has stepped out of faith and left a very good job in order to pursue other career endeavors. 2014 is your year baby, and I am proud of you. 
• My Family- We have seen each other through some good times and  tough times. The Garnett-Windon-Smith-Stanfill-Cunningham clan is still in tact and closer than ever. 
• Myself- I've started to take my career by the horns by networking, which I loathe, and even creating a new program at my job. This blog, based on the feedback from a lot of folks, has shown me that I have another talent. While physical fitness is still my goal, I may incorporate a lifestyle aspect to this blog.

The Bad:

• This year I've learned being content and happy with the status quo. The only way to get to where you want to be is by pushing yourself to do better and be better.
• I didn't meet my fitness goals, but I am going to keep on trying. Nothing beats a failure, but a try.
• I've lost some loved ones this year, and I miss them dearly. However, I have to believe there is something bigger than us in order for me to cope with these losses. 
• Watching your loved ones deal with the loss of the child and not knowing how to help. A child represents hope and bright possibilities. When you lose a child, you lose a little bit of your heart. However, my loved ones who are going through this are proving to be quite resilient. I know they will have another baby one day. 

Not too bad. Clearly I have room for improvement, which we all do. I am a work in progress.

2014 Resolutions:

My friend suggested writing down what I want to accomplish, and perhaps that will make me stick to it more. I would hate to be making the same resolutions on January 1, 2015. 

1. Get Healthy- Eat better, live better, and exercise. I definitely want to restart exercising at least 300 minutes a week. When I had a goal, it was a great motivator. I also want to try out new & revisit various exercise programs. Bikram yoga, jogging consistently, and maybe even crossfit, are all on my to do list. I have to start going to my Saturday morning class more often. When I went last Saturday, I was seeing stars and my lower back started getting sore after the 1st 5 minutes; a sign that I am out of shape. 
2. Treat My Hair With Respect- I decided to stop getting a relaxer back in May of 2009. I love the versatility of natural hair. If I want to wear it big, I can. If I want to wear it sleek and straight, I can. However, the maintenance is the same as when I used to get relaxers. I have been lax in the maintenance department. I go longer than I should between washes, I don't do nearly as many deep conditioning treatments as I should, nor as many trims, and I do not have a proper night time routine to prevent breakage. If I want the really big hair that I crave, I have to do better. I may do a 30 days of protective styles challenge. We shall see.   
3. Get Pregnant- Yeah that's on my list, and I slipped it in at 3rd. Hopefully my mom doesn't read this and get too excited. (Mom, if you are reading this, don't get your hopes up and no pressure).This resolution is out of my hands for the most part. What is in my hands is preparing my body for pregnancy through eating right, exercising, and getting on a consistent vitamin routine.
4. Be a better wife, sister, friend, daughter, granddaughter etc. I noticed that I am not good at keeping the lines of communication open. I am usually the callee/textee not the caller/texter. With my husband, I leave my problems at the front door, which is my coping mechanism. However, I need to share all aspects of my life with him. He is, after all, my partner. 
5. Cook more and eat out less. Self-explanatory.

Here's to making new memories in 2014. Happy New Year!

And now a glimpse of 2013. A retrospective in pictures.