My New Year’s Anti-Resolution List

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Every year we make a list of our New Year’s resolutions. And, for the most part, we don’t accomplish what’s on that list. We end the year with a bit of disappointment that we didn’t accomplish the goals we set out to reach.

I’m done with the disappointment in myself for not completing – heck who am I kidding – in some cases, even starting, those resolutions. This year, these are my five Anti-Resolutions that I fully intend to check off my list!

 

I RESOLVE TO CANCEL MY GYM MEMBERSHIP

I joined a gym almost two years ago. It was one of my resolutions and my then boyfriend (now fiance’) joined with me, in the hopes of getting in better shape and losing weight. The only thing I’ve lost is $20 a month and a $60 fee every summer. I have not gone to the gym ONCE since joining. I’ll admit, I need to exercise more. I need to lose weight. But I also know myself, and my insane schedule. Going to a gym is not going to happen. I’d rather be outside, walking around in real life, and get my exercise in that way. So this year, I resolve to cancel my gym membership and save myself $300 a year!

I RESOLVE TO NOT TRAVEL

Now, when I say “not travel,” I’m not saying not at all. What I want to do is stay more local. The only exception to this will be my honeymoon this fall. There’s ALWAYS an exception. But in general, I love to travel and go places away from home. The beach is always my go-to destination when we plan trips. But this year, I want to stay local. There is SO much to do within a three hour radius of Cincinnati. Not only will this take less time to get to our destination allowing us more time to actually ENJOY our trip, but it will support local tourism. There’s a laundry list of places I want to see and take my boys this year. So, I resolve to travel local and enjoy more destinations close to home. Where are some of YOUR favorite local destinations?

I RESOLVE TO EAT & DRINK MORE

This one might make me rethink canceling my gym membership. I always get stuck in a rut when it comes to eating out and exploring my city. I’ve lived in Cincinnati for three years now (Northern Kentucky prior to that for 12 years) and I’ve barely scratched the surface of local eateries. The time I ate out the most in the area was when I had jury duty last spring. Pretty sad in my opinion! There are so many affordable local restaurants and breweries that I want to try! Forget the chain restaurants and bars. I want to eat local and enjoy the Cincinnati foodie scene full-force! So this year, I resolve to eat and drink more local. Any recommendations that I MUST try?

I RESOLVE TO IGNORE MY CHILDREN

My children are my world. The boys that God gave me are truly a gift and I do so much to protect that gift. Sometimes, I protect them TOO much and end up being one of those “helicopter moms” we read about all the time. It’s not that I want to keep my children in a bubble and put blinders on them  to shield them from everything in society. (Although, with as crazy as our world has been lately, can you blame me?) But I also know what it’s like to be overly protected in childhood/adolescence and how I’ve missed out on so many experiences growing up. I don’t want that for my children. I can’t protect them from all the evils of the world, but I do need to let them spread their wings and sometimes fall. The only way they can learn to be more productive, self-asserting citizens is to give them some freedom to learn. So this year, I resolve to give my boys space to learn and grow into the young men I’ve prepared them to be.

I RESOLVE TO BE UNCOMFORTABLE

My last post touched on this subject and you can read about that here if you missed it! But, one of the biggest struggles in my life is that I often feel awkward and inept in social situations. I often feel that I don’t fit in. While I’m learning to accept that and be who I am, I also know that I am missing out on a lot of different opportunities and people by avoiding these situations. The only way that I’m going to conquer this feeling of not fitting in is to be uncomfortable and push myself. I need to find more outlets to meet people and enjoy experiences that I might otherwise miss out on. So, this year, I resolve to be uncomfortable, get out of my comfort zone and meet new people.

As the old year closes and the new year begins, it’s always a time I take pride in my accomplishments and resolve to not repeat my failures. I’ve learned a lot this year and made many changes in my life, for the better. I’m looking forward to so many new beginnings in 2018. I get to marry the man of my dreams in May, my oldest son is starting middle school in the fall, I turn 40 in a few short weeks (yikes) and my outlook is the most positive it’s been. What does YOUR 2018 look like and what “anti-resolutions” are you going to make this year?

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Abby Turner Hager
I am originally from New Hampshire and moved to the Cincinnati area in 2003. I am a single mom to 2 amazing boys, Eli and Ethan. We are avid Reds fans and you will likely find us at the ballpark quite a bit during baseball season. I have a degree in healthcare management and work full-time in Cincinnati. I have shared parenting of my boys, so when we are together, I try to make sure we make the most of our time! Whether it’s seeing Madcap Puppets, exploring the numerous local parks, enjoying the Cincinnati Pops, or cheering on our Cincinnati Redlegs, I strive to expose my boys to as many aspects of culture that I can! I enjoy music (I’ve played piano for 30 years) as well as being crafty (as time allows!), making crazy cool cakes, and relaxing with my boys, our dog Frankie and cats Lyra & Luna (we have quite the animal kingdom in our house)! I’m really excited about sharing a piece of my world with you and this oftentimes humorous and wild adventure I call my life as a mom!

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