Each year at about this time, I share my School Year’s Resolutions. I do what the rest of the world does January 1 — this timing just seems to work better for me. You can see the past two years of resolutions here and here. I hope you’ll join me.

As I read my School Year’s Resolutions from the past two years, I have to chuckle. Apparently, I’m no more successful at meeting goals mid-year, than I am in January. But I figure, if at first you don’t succeed, try again and again and again (or modify the goal!) Here are my goals as I our family begins the school year.

Simplify Find Balance
I’ve tried to simplify for years now, and I’ve finally decided it is just not in my nature. I’m modifying this goal to reflect realistically what I’m trying to accomplish with simplicity:

1. Do my best, but accept imperfection.

2. Appreciate small everyday gifts without grieving what just doesn’t fit into the 24-hour day.

3. Organize as much as seems realistic, without becoming frustrated about the chaos that still ensues.

4. Say “I could” more often than “I should.”

5. Continue doing all 50 things on this post.

Health
I need to find ways to focus on my health while I still have it.

1. Eat healthy meals even on stressful days.

2. Walk or ride bike twice per week; take the stairs and extra steps where possible.

3. Actually take the vitamins in my cabinet.

4. Help my kids to pack healthy lunches on days they’re not looking forward to school lunch.

5. Participate in a supportive email discussion group and possibly join Weight Watchers online.

Please join me! Just write your personal goals for the school year!  Write your resolutions in comments or leave your link. Here are a few participants to offer you inspiration:

Pockets of Time
Mom 2 My 9
Don’stuff
Where is the Sun?

This post is a part of WFMW at Rocks in My Dryer.

Join me in setting School Year’s Resolutions. Details at the end of the post.

A few years ago I started reading headlines about “balance,” but I really didn’t get it. That’s because there was little balance in my life – every part of it was all-or-nothing. For a while that attitude helped me to achieve a lot, but as our family and professional lives became more and more complex, my perfectionist streak turned me into a gigantic stress ball.

Did you know?

“Not only does stress and anxiety interfere with your immune system, making you vulnerable to illnesses like the flu, it impairs your body’s ability to respond to its anti-inflammatory signals, putting you at an increased risk of allergies, autoimmune diseases and heart disease. “

-Source - SixWise.com

Some items on the following list are very specific, so your list might look much different than mine. Some ideas may sound selfish, others like no-brainers. But I know from experience, that stress is a cancer that grows and destroys. I’m no good to anyone when my life is not in balance, and I know that little actions can have large impacts.

Some day, I’m sure it will require less to keep an equilibrium, but at this time it’s something I need to be very conscious about. I still lose my balance sometimes, but I’m getting better.

I only mention here what I do pretty regularly - my goals list will come next week in the form of School Year’s Resolutions. Although at times I notice stress creeping back in, the items on this list help me to keep it at bay.

What “balance” means to me:

Attitude

• Choosing not to implement an idea. Just because I can, doesn’t mean I should.
• Crossing less crucial items off the to-do list, even if they’re not yet done.
• Keeping a part-time job I enjoy, with a regular paycheck.
• Not fixing everything that’s broken.
• Not replacing things that still work.
• Twittering. In moderation.
• Sometimes going the extra mile. Other times not.
• Resisting the urge to constantly change my blog design - or anything else.
• Sometimes saying, “Yes.” Sometimes, “No.”
• Using the word “sometimes” often. It helps me to resist my all-or-nothing tendencies.
• Regularly reading my favorite blogs, and sometimes clicking through the reader to comment.
• Sometimes marking “all read” on my Google Reader, even when the posts aren’t read.
• Writing on Pass the Torch 2-3 times per week.
• Making most of the decisions about our kids when my husband’s at work, and letting him make most the decisions when he’s home.
• Considering what I will do, instead of what I think someone else should do.
• Letting the dog sleep on the couch, but not in the bed.
• Taking photos, thousands of which will sit unused in my backup drive.
• Watching movies. Watching little other TV.
• Avoiding the ubiquitous negativity that fills many network newscasts - while relying on bloggers and friends to point me toward the news I need.
• Smiling. Laughing.

Organization

• Writing several weeks-worth of posts and auto-scheduling them.
• Combining trips, making visits and running errands on the way.
• Planting a single-tomato-plant garden.
• Installing low-maintenance landscaping.
• Paying a bi-weekly cleaning lady, rather than paying for restaurants.
• Sometimes helping with the kids’ chores (ages 9 and 11) and them helping me to do mine.
• Reading emails in my BlackBerry and responding only in my head.
• Volunteering only in the activities my kids are involved.
• Cooking dinners at home for my husband and both kids.
• Sometimes ordering pizza during the school year, on days I work.
• Not folding the kids’ clothes. Not caring if they end up in their drawers unfolded.
• Pausing as I type this list, to watch a chipmunk jump around on the rocks outside.
• Sometimes letting the grass get too long.
• Letting the dust build up, but using disinfecting cloths regularly in the bath and kitchen.
• Living one mile from school/work.
• Moving to the cabin in the summer.
• Keeping to-do and grocery lists on the fridge. Expecting everyone to add to and accomplish the lists.
• Hanging the laundry to dry on hot days. Using the dryer on cold ones.
• Doing a 10-minute house pickup with the whole family.
• Having company once in a while.
• Doing my QuickBooks business accounting in a marathon session just twice per year.
• Spending my time during off-work days writing and doing business - not housework.
• Washing clothes and dishes, and cooking when the kids are home, can see me do it and help.

Relationships

• Sometimes expecting less. Sometimes giving less than is expected. Sometimes more.
• Sometimes parting ways with my husband and kid(s) during family visits – to efficiently make connections with both families.
• Expanding my definition of “girlfriend” – to neighbor, mom of kids’ friends, co-leader for DI, carpool sharer, colleague
• Calling a friend or family member the day before to see if we can get together, and celebrating when the last-minute visit works.
• Arranging playdates.
• Spending more time with people that help me accomplish the list, and less time with those who hinder it.
• Committing to visit my mom once per month.
• Appreciating the short visits I have with distant friends and family members, rather than grieving the fact I see them so little.

Next week, I’ll share my School Year’s Resolutions. Each year about this time, I do what the rest of the world does January 1. This timing just seems to work better for me. You can see the past two years of resolutions here and here. Won’t you join me? I’ll include a Mr. Linky with my resolutions on August 22.

How do you keep your balance?

A gift from Darla.
Smart girl.

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This post is a part of the Carnival of Education this week. Visit I Want to Teach Forever to read more!

One of my school year’s resolutions this year was to simplify life. And one of the numerous ways in which I failed miserably in this goal, was to become a Destination Imagination team leader for a group of seven third grade boys. Possibly the only reason I survived the season with most of my hair attached to my scalp, is that another mom capably stepped up to co-lead with me.

If you’re as ignorant about DI as I was (as well as the rest of this group), here’s a little introduction. The premise is that the kids need to create a solution for a challenge posed by the organization. The challenge is multi-faceted and all the ideas must come from the kids — the team leaders’ jobs are to help the team understand the challenge and rules, facilitate discussion, and keep wrestling to a minimum (did I mention there were seven third grade boys?)

Most of our season — which started in December and ended last weekend — was spent on team-building activities, and it was only in the final month or so that we really made progress toward the solution to our challenge, which included a skit and an experiment. We dealt with many different personalities in this group, and marveled at the tremendous amount of time it takes to move a group toward a cohesive decision, without the adult taking charge.

You might think this should be right up my alley. After all, I’m a school counselor, and my book is about youth empowerment. But you REALLY need to be patient. And have I ever mentioned that this is completely not my strength? Right. That was probably a resolution once too.

Despite this challenging year, despite the fact I’m relieved the season’s over, I cannot deny the tremendous growth experienced by this team. I’m so proud of the way they all participated and communicated respectfully during the instant challenge, and how they performed their competition skit. I’m awed by the mature way the group went to the front of their classroom to discuss at length what they’d learned this year, regarding teamwork and research. And I can’t think of another experience that would have more effectively taught my son how to speak his opinions in a group of peers, to debate potential solutions among those with whom he’d previously remained silent, and to share creative ideas that I didn’t know were in him.

As co-leaders we constantly reminded ourselves throughout the season, about the true focus of this group of green DI members — of the purpose of our leadership, the reason for the challenge, and the way we’d know it had all been worthwhile.

Process over product.

Our mantra worked.

You can join me each week by sharing a time kids make you proud, or a way adults are teaching, sharing — passing the torch. Blog your story or share it in comments.Former PTT posts.

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On Easter Sunday, our family attended the church I belonged to for most of my youth. In the past few years, we’ve only gone to church a handful of times, unwilling to commit to a congregation during our family’s various moves. But on Easter, the tradition in the music is so moving, it envelopes me throughout the service — the familiarity of the songs I’ve sung for more than three decades.

I graduated with one of the musicians in this church, and in the past when I’ve come to listen to my mom sing in the choir, I’ve always been mesmerized by his inspirational trumpeting. This Sunday, as the congregation began to sing one of my traditional favorites — “Now All the Vault of Heaven Resounds” — it wasn’t our collective voice that inspired me. It wasn’t the power of the beautiful pipe organ. But rather, it was the majestic, yet humble and understated sound of his trumpet, barely audible during most of the hymn, but awesome in the few notes at the end of a verse. And by the final chorus, I was gripped by such overwhelming emotion that I had to stop singing, so my voice wouldn’t betray me and call attention to the tears streaming down my cheeks.

With my eyes, I searched for my musician friend throughout these songs, attempting to watch him work his inspirational magic over us. But, true to form, he remained hidden behind the choir, serving us only by sound. And when he stood up for communion, I noticed him and watched him set down his trumpet — and his handsome 12-year-old son did the same. You see, it’s no longer a single trumpet sounding. Now it’s two.

What a gift to stand beside your son and deliver the Holy Spirit to so many sinners like me.

And what a powerful way to pass the torch…

You can join me each week by sharing a time kids make you proud, or a way adults are teaching, sharing — passing the torch. Blog your story or share it in comments.Former PTT posts.

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