The 2010s were full of ups and downs for us. First of all, I got married in 2010. A few years later, we started our adoption process which eventually led to us opting for surrogacy using a donated embryo. After our surrogate’s challenging pregnancy and an emergency C section at 35 weeks, we welcomed our son. I’m happy to say that he’s a healthy little boy who, when age adjusted, is more or less on track!
But what about this coming decade? Well, I turned 40 in September, so this is the big decade of middle age for me. I’m still healthy and fit, working out regularly. Over the past decade, I’ve experimented with various types of fitness, including barre, Essentrics, training and even some weird ones where you wear a machine and it’s supposed to send electrical pulses to reduce fat (not that I have much to reduce). That last one was a massive fail for me and I can tell you it’s a complete waste of money. Glad I got my money back for that. These days, I’m sticking with reformer, Essentrics and training. Barre? I might make a return at a later date, but I’m just too busy doing other things. I’ve also experimented with being vegetarian some days, and though I haven’t gone completely plant based (I love eggs and cheese), I can definitely go more than one day without animal flesh. In fact, I want to make that more routine (but that could mean making two separate entrées). It’s my one goal for the 2020s, to be meatless for two days each week and landmeat free at least one of them.
Speaking of food, I’m also looking forward to introducing my son to even more to expand his palate. He does eat quite a variety of different things, though he seems to like baked goods the most. I’ve made protein/fibre muffins (from a recipe a pediatric dietian I follow on Facebook posted) which consists of chicken, spinach, corn as well as cereal (the original calls for “baby cereal,” but I use oat bran). I’m thinking of combining chicken and tofu for the next version just to lessen the meat.
The 2020s will also see my son enter school. I’m actually kind of stressed about it (though I know I shouldn’t be). He’s already on the wait list for three preschools and another school that starts in Junior Kindergarten. I’ve already made a list of schools which might be a good fit for him – he seems to hate large crowds (but it could be a phase), so I’m hoping that he’ll get a spot in a smaller community. I’d hate for him to get lost.
As for me, in addition to trying to reduce my intake of meat, I’m looking to become more mindful. I’m already meditating on a daily basis – even on weekends – and it’s so far been good. I’ve also been journalling (in the old fashioned way) since 2017. I think I’ve gone through enough Moleskine notebooks to fill an entire library! When I first started, I was writing about eight pages a day, but since motherhood hit, it’s been down to four. Being a mom, after all, takes priority.
I’m also trying to reduce my time on some forms of social media, especially Facebook. Sure, many mom groups are amazing (like the baby feeding groups I belong to. In fact, they’re better than a mom app I have. I find the women in the FB group more educated and intelligent while the mom app ladies are kind of…ummm…you know), but my feed in general is just awful. I’m getting the same ads over and over, and many of my Facebook friends seem to be just a tad bit over politically correct. I’ve done some clean-up – I’ve stopped following many people (especially in certain industries), but I’ve cut few friends. It’s probably about time I do. Some people can be just so awful towards you because your views are different. You really don’t need them in your life! I’m going to stick around Instagram though. Seeing photos of other people’s lives makes me happy! Twitter? Well, it’s just too busy to really end up being anything too crazy. I DO plan to spend more time on LinkedIn. Maybe use it to find philanthropy-related workshops in the area.
I’m also hoping to learn more about investing in businesses. And LinkedIn might help. Perhaps I could find some workshops on angel investing via that social network. I know that this is something I’m hoping to expand into, especially when it comes to working with women-run start-ups (women are far less likely to land a deal).
Am I missing anything? I don’t know. I suppose I can always update this post or write a new one if I come up with anything else!
What about you? What are YOU planning for this coming year?
Image By tonkid/Shutterstock
