Will This Be a New Year For You?

Let's Make This New Year Count!

  So, we all usually do the same thing. We make New Year's resolutions with the best hopes in mind and by the 2nd week of January most have already been forgotten or we've given up. Not this year, let's try something different. How about some realistic resolutions this year? What? Aren't they always realistic? Well, not exactly! This year, let's think about not trying to change our mate in our relationship or focus on trying to get a mate, for that matter. Let's not say that we're going to lose 50 pounds and keep our snack weaknesses around. Let's work on ourselves and our mindsets! Why don't we try to live more this year?  
This means, start saving for, or take that trip you've been wanting to take. Lose the weight you've been trying to lose, but start small and work your way up. Quit being so hard on yourself, but don't refuse to give up on your goals. Everything you want can and will be accomplished if you decide to claim it. You just have to decide what you may have to risk to go after it. Anything worth going after takes risk and sacrifice. My sincere wish and prayer is that everyone finds what they are looking for this year. Most of all, remember to love yourself, enjoy life and have fun. Laugh when you're having the worst day. Find the sun through the rain. Live when it seems impossible! I believe in you!

Here's some Josie Tips for setting realistic goals:

• Start with a small, easy goal to accomplish and move up. (Example, try to lose 5 pounds first, once that is done, you can see where your weaknesses were and adjust accordingly. Being healthy is a lifestyle choice. Don't make this a goal to be accomplished in a few weeks or month. Make it an overall goal to be met by the end of the year and then for a lifetime.)

• What ever may have been going wrong this past year, may have been a result of poor choices on your part. Don't dwell on your mistakes. Choose to do better. Remember the mistakes, move on from them, but don't repeat them. 

• Love Yourself!!!!!!! Sometimes this is hard to remember. Especially if you're like me. You do for everyone else, but who helps you? Remember to love yourself. When people or situations aren't treating you the way YOU THINK you deserve to be treated, lose them. It's not worth losing love for yourself. 

•  Enjoy yourself! Enjoy life! Learn to say "SO WHAT", this year. You didn't get that promotion you wanted. Your finances weren't where you wanted them. You lost a lot. Guess what, you're still standing! You're still here! Say SO WHAT! NEXT!

• Seek out your purpose! I've realized since I was a little girl, that I was put here to help people in some way. Every job I've had in my life so far, has done just that. Total strangers often feel comfortable talking to me wherever I am about anything. That's not a coincidence! Start noticing the signs of your purpose. What comes to you naturally? What happens in your life regularly without you trying? What kind of people seem to be drawn to you?

• Create a vision board. Not exactly sure how to get to what you want, but know what you want? It's called the Law of Attraction. Create a board of pictures with the lifestyle and dreams you want to experience. It may not happen today, maybe not even tomorrow, but it WILL happen. Just believe in yourself!

     

Netflix and Chill?

So, I'm a self described independent woman! (That usually means doing stuff on your own, even if you have help.)
Yes, I'm in a relationship, but that doesn't mean you become something other than what you have always been or what you were taught to be. I am a mother. A really good mother, if I must say so myself. Lol. In society's mindset, that means always doing for your kids and family, never taking time for yourself.                              
Well, it took me a long time to realize that society's view and my view NEEDED to be different. Society will have you looking tired and running ragged and quite honestly, I'm too fly for that. I love my children and family. They will always get what they need from me, but not at my expense. That may sound harsh, but I learned that if you take care of yourself, everyone else will be alright! It's just like flying instructions.
I'm not saying this in a selfish way, but you have to take care of your own health, mentally and physically before you can start devoting yourself to anyone else. Too many times, do women give their lives to a cause such as a relationship, work, their children, etc., only to find that once that cause has been fulfilled, their lives seem to feel incomplete. I had to learn to start balancing things. At first, I used to feel guilty when I would come home from work tired and the kids would want my time. I was exhausted, but they didn't know that. Due to independent woman syndrome, I would try to do what they wanted or needed and I would be worn out, only to repeat the same cycle the next day. Sometimes, I would feel cranky and fuss at them or my boyfriend and they had no clue why I was really fussing. I realized that things had to change. In order for them to be happy, I had to be happier. That doesn't mean I walked around singing songs and smiling at everything. Happiness is different for everyone. For me, I often felt under appreciated or not appreciated at all. No one, including my family realized how much responsibility was on my plate. I had to create my own moments of happiness.

Here's a few "Josie Tips" on how to create moments of happiness for yourself:

• Take a 10 minute time out. (You know that feeling when everything seems overwhelming and you have no idea how you will do it all? Yup, that's a good time.) Do your nails, take a 10 minute walk, take deep breaths, meditate, read some inspirational quotes, write in a journal.

• If possible, take naps. I know it seems silly, little kids do this, but statistics show that taking small naps every day improves your well being. 20-30 minutes recommended daily. (See link: https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/napping)

• Communicate to loved ones. This was hardest for me, but I found once I told them how I was feeling and what I was going through, some weight felt like it was lifted off of my shoulders. (Sometimes people truly don't understand until you explain it to them.)

• Do something nice for yourself regularly. Schedule a monthly spa treatment such as a massage or facial. Take a day trip with a loved one. Set aside "me" time daily, weekly, or monthly.

• Deviate from your schedule. If you're like me, having a routine means everything to you. It gets boring after a while. Switching it up sometimes, keeps things interesting.

• Understand that you are human! Even superwoman is affected by kryptonite. Shit happens and when it does, don't let it ruin your world. Take a moment, cry, get it out of your system and move forward. No matter what, KEEP MOVING FORWARD!

Get To Know Me

        This is my first post, YAY! (Many more to come.) I will be writing about my life as a parent, relationships, shopping experiences, self-help topics, and going back to school as an older adult. Hopefully, these topics will be interesting and informative. I enjoy writing! I've been thinking about starting a blog for a while. Here it is! Feel free to comment and ask questions. My purpose is to help people however I am able. 

       So, let me tell you a little about myself. I recently enrolled at Baltimore County Community College(Essex), majoring in Psychology. My first semester went pretty well. I'll be writing another blog about that later. I have two wonderful, crazy, loving children. And I am in a long-term relationship (6 years and counting to be exact). I have been working in the healthcare industry for over 16 years and really love what I do. In my past, I have worked in various other fields, sometimes, working 2 and 3 jobs. Lots of experience and knowledge here. I also was a business owner for a network marketing company. I like giving advice. For the most part, I'm usually right, and I'm a good listener. That's how I came up with the name "Josie Tips". For some reason, people are drawn to me and feel comfortable talking to me about anything. I've had complete strangers walk up to me and start telling me their problems. Honestly, I don't mind. I find people very interesting. Stay tuned!