Happy New Year. Looking forward to it in all honesty. Not that it’s “my” year, oh no, no, no. Hopefully we’ve all learned our lesson with 2020-2024.
What I mean is, I’m genuinely looking forward to making a couple of small changes. I don’t normally do resolutions. It’s the dead of winter. It’s the furthest thing from a season of rebirth. In fact, Easter is all the way deep into April.
But a few things have bothered me personally, especially now that I’m a mom. For one, as a SAHM, we’ve lost nearly half our income. So we really need to take a hard look at finances. For two, I spend so much time consuming content – primarily via social media – and not a lot of time creating content. Third, and perhaps my word for the year, what does contentment look like for our home?
So, for the coming month or so, we’re putting the kibosh on frivolous spending. We have enough “stuff” already to finish projects and start new hobbies. We need to go through closets and storage bins and donate (or sell!) a LOT. Plus, it’s the month after Christmas. We need to refill some savings coffers. I’m personally committing to cooking more. No take out if it can be helped. Besides, I’m no tradwife, but I cook better than most restaurants anyway.
For the coming year, I’m seriously considering removing social media and I’m taking this first month as a kind of test run. Maybe it’ll be so freeing, I can push through to the end of the year. Social media – both personal and professional (looking at you, LinkedIn, with your bazillion notifications) – create a time vacuum. Plus, must platforms are designed to be addictive. It’s how companies are able to remain “free,” by selling my freely given time on the platform to advertisers. We’re putting a stop to that today.
Both have an underlying motivation of practicing contentment. And no, the difference between content and content is not lost on me. One thinks for you, one gives you the space to think for yourself. Contentment cannot be found in buying and consuming more. It’s the exact opposite. Transitioning from one to another probably isn’t going to be easy. But we all know the cliche: nothing worth having ever comes easy.
May these temporary changes be the start of lasting habits that bring more peace, purpose, and contentment to the year. Here’s to seeing what unfolds.