2020 was a year unlike any other. I started working remotely in March, had a baby in June so I guess you could say it was a wild ride...oh and we had a global pandemic. (LOL) It was an insanely hard year, with crazy obstacles and threw us all into circumstances we've never faced before. But (there's always a but) there were also some beautiful moments in there as well.
Just like any situation, I'm a "see the silver lining" kind of gal. It can be annoying at times but honestly its the best defense mechanisms you can equip yourself with and when the going gets tough you grit your teeth and get through it. Life isn't always butterflies and rainbows and the sooner we learn that, the sooner we learn to cope with trials.
This leads me to teaching your kids to be tough. Not in the military school kinda way but in the way of bouncing back, trying again and learning that they CAN do hard things. Its hard as a parent to watch them go through the struggles. I for one am guilty of rushing in too quickly to save the day and in doing so often unintentionally steal their opportunity to grow. Thats something I've been working on during 2020, and now with a little boy in the family I'm guessing I should get used to it. Learning to do hard things, take on big challenges and move forward when we feel like giving up is something we all face no matter the age. It's something 2020 has taught us all again and its something we need to continue to leverage.
When we set out to do the 1000 hours outside challenge last year, man did that seem like a tricky goal to shoot for. I mean " you'd have to average 83 hours a month just to make it happen!!...that's roughly 21 hours a week and now my head is spinning with there's no way we can achieve that and what have I done?" ......panic.
How do you eat an elephant guys? One bite at a time
Do I have your attention now? You can do hard things, they get easier over time. You can make a new habit for your family, Lord knows we've all watched too much TV in the winter. It is going to be hard to reach those hours, it will take going outside in the rain, you will learn to love the cold and you know what? Even if you don't reach 1000 hours, you still win. Read that again; Even if you don't reach 1000 hours, you still win.
Why you might ask? Because you are actively choosing your family as a priority each and every second you spend outside. You are showing your children a lifestyle that leads to health and wellness-naturally. You are taking back your freedom from the screens that control our lives. And you may even have a little fun in the process.
So are you up for the challenge? I promise to be there alongside of you every step of the way. I promise to encourage you, cheer for you and motivate you when the going gets tough. I promise to share my favorite ways to get mysterious outdoorsy stains out of princess dresses and my favorite templates for memory books. I can't wait to see your adventures. I can't wait to see the smiles that will start out a little unsure and quickly grow into a never ending sign that you're living your best life. This is your time mama, we've only got so many years with our babies, lets not waste a single one.
If you've made it this far, first of you're the MVP, but secondly I want to share a few additional things with you.
1) Here is the direct link to 1000 Hours Outside FREE trackers and challenge sign up. Ginny is an amazing soul and you will find her content both exhilarating and loving. She is the genius behind this movement and I highly encourage you to sign up, join her group and get excited! (pro tip- I love to print out my tracker in a larger format and hang it on the wall so that Iris can fill it out herself and it reminds us daily to get at it!!)
2) Join my little tribe and I on our Wild and Free Journey of traveling the Tri-State. There's always room at the table for one more and we are so excited for you to join us! If you're not comfortable getting out and about yet, don't sweat it. There will be plenty of activities throughout the year for you to join. Speaking from experience, its ok to be different. We are all doing what's best for our family at the time and there's no judgements ever. You can sign up here, its totally free unless you chose the upgraded version.
3) Join me over on Facebook and Instagram for more motivation and fun. I will be offering mini challenges (first one starts on the 7th) and free resources to get you going, give you new ideas and help you along this journey. Thats the beauty of motherhood, we each have something special to offer and we are all in this together. So pull up a chair and join me, friends.
Comments