Photo Credit: Quan Nguyen
Years ago, I stopped making “self improvement” style resolutions. You know the ones.
*Lose 10 pounds!
*Spend less money!
*Get arrested less!
(Okay, that last one isn’t serious, but you get the picture)
I stopped for one simple reason. Those resolutions were all based on GUILT.
And I failed year in and year out. Instead of losing 10 pounds, I’d gain another 5. Or I’d spend money on stuff I didn’t even want instead of saving. Because once I wasn’t perfect at fulfilling my guilt-based resolutions, (and nothing is perfect) I’d fall right back into the old destructive habits that caused the problem in the first place to make myself feel better. Then I’d finally just give up. It was an annual shame spiral.
But something happens in your mid-late 30s. You start getting fed up with things that don’t work for you. Like making guilt-based goals that set you up for failure, for example.
Now my resolutions are more like goals. Instead of punishing myself with self improvement, I spend the beginning of January asking myself what I’d like more of in my life. And right now, something I very much want more of in my life is Play.
What does “Play” mean to a 37 year old mom though?
Well here’s the official definition:
PLAY
| synonyms: | amuse oneself, entertain oneself, enjoy oneself, have fun; |
For me, this means spending time getting creative without time limits or worrying about an outcome, learning weird new things, using all of my senses, being totally impractical and giving myself space to get inspired.
What does this look like in reality? Here’s a list of things that are play for me. Your list may look completely different, but maybe this will inspire you a little!
*Taking that candle-lit yoga class where they play reggae. Not because I want to work on my yoga body, just because it sounds cool and fun.
*Spending an afternoon at a museum. Without kids.
*Sewing
*Getting all my essential oils and herbs and DIY stuff out and making lotions and potions and tinctures and salves.
*Cooking something exotic
*Taking kindermusik classes with my toddler
*Taking photography and videography classes online and at the local junior college
*Coloring (I have zero desire to draw or paint at this point in my life.)
*Wandering art, craft and fabric stores
*Having picnics and tea parties with my toddler
*Organizing my closet, books, pantry, anything really. Not because I’m organized, just because I love getting lost in the process. It’s hypnotic to me.
*Squeezing out all the moments of fun I can with my teen before he’s all grown up (He turns 18 in November!)
I could seriously go on all day, but you get the idea.
Does your list look anything like mine? Do you want to play more this year? Let me know in the comments!
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