A New Year, a new you. That’s that they say at least! I used to be one of those people that set lofty goals every New Year’s Eve. Somehow, I expected that my entire life would change at the stroke of midnight. Well, in reality, it never did. I would always set the bar just a little too high and end up disappointing myself. Here’s just a handful of things that I’ve tried to hold myself to in the past …
“I’ll work out six days a week”
I can’t tell you how many years I had my sights set on this one. I mean how hard could it really be? Well, as it turns out … nearly impossible. Realistically if I get a solid workout in four times in a week, that’s a major win. Plus, just because you didn’t get to the gym doesn’t necessarily mean you were “inactive”. Sometimes I break a sweat just chasing my kids all over town.
“I’ll only drink wine on Fridays and Saturdays.”
In theory, this is something I would love to be able to stick to, but life happens. There are those bad days. The nights you want to go out with your friends to celebrate. Those fights that you have with your husband. Work dinners. And, simply relaxing. All of these scenarios are best paired with a glass of wine, and they don’t always present themselves during the weekend.
“I’ll keep my closet clean.”
I want so badly to be one of those people who has a color coordinated closet, neatly folded shirts, and a shoe rack organized by activity. But no, my closet always looks like it’s been hit by a natural disaster. Every time I walk into it I think, “This weekend I’ll organize this mess.” But, as it turns out I have different priorities.
“I’ll be better at staying in touch with my family.”
I love my family and when it comes to keeping in touch I always have good intentions. I’ve even gone as far as to schedule times when I could make phone calls. Then in those moments I realize … the kids are gone, the house is quiet, and I’m all alone. Suddenly, I don’t want to call anyone anymore. I just want to sit in silence and enjoy it. Who’s with me?
Clearly New Year’s Resolutions just aren’t for me, but I still like the idea of being accountable to something. So, in 2017 I started a new tradition. Rather than always looking forward and thinking about what I need to improve upon, I started keeping a list of accomplishments. When the New Year approached I took time to sit down, look back, and celebrate what I was able to achieve in the last 365 days. Here’s what I had written down …
In the workplace ….

• New Services: In order to better serve our patients we added new services including MyShape, Velashape, Smartlipo, labiaplasty, and other cosmetic gynecology procedures. We also expanded our hormone offerings, and finished several clinical trials throughout the year.
• Improved Space: In 2017 we expanded our office and gave it a facelift. In addition our office recertified as an AAASF accredited facility which allows us to offer IV sedation for our gynecology procedures such as MyFlow and MyControl.
• New Technology: In order to keep up with industry trends we invested in new equipment. Recent additions include a new device for Laser Hair Removal and a new laser for tightening the skin and reducing brown spots.
• Growing Team: To keep up with the growing demands of our office I hired a Practice Administrator. This has really helped me to maintain a better work life balance.
• Continued Education: I stayed committed to my patients and my practice by focusing on continued education. This year I passed the ACLS Certification and also attended an extensive course on labiaplasty.

On a personal level …

• Family Reunion: While I didn’t do great at calling all my family members, this Christmas I got to see them all together for the first time! Together we all went on a cruise to celebrate my parents 50^th wedding anniversary.
• Took Breaks: From little weekend getaways to our time at Lake Cumberland this past year I built in more vacations. Time to spend with my family, instead of my lovely coworkers.
• Practiced Presence: I used to work from home A LOT. Well, this past year I’ve made a conscious effort to leave the paperwork at the office {most of the time}. This way when I walk through the door and greet my kids, I’m truly present.
• Mastered New Skills: In 2017, I started cooking for my family more often. While I still rely on help from Meijer Shipt, and mail order meal services it feels great to give in this way.

Taking the time to reflect on 2017, I have to say, it was a pretty good year. I’m also appreciating this new approach – paying tribute to the positives, versus concentrating on those things that didn’t get done. So what if my closet isn’t clean, and had an extra glass of wine this week. All things considered they didn’t hold me back. So, tell me … what’s good in your world?