Calm mum wannabe

I'm just a calm mum wannabe, muddling on through from tantrum to tantrum, one big deep breath at a time. Ommmm....

Sunday, 1 January 2012

A simple new year's resolution

My new year’s resolution is to keep things simple. 

Does this mean the end of the lengthy, meandering blog post for Om in Mom? Possibly. We shall see.

The other day I did this fabulous exercise by Barrie Davenport, which is a kind of all-round audit of every area of your life. I came up with the same few things that I want to focus on this year. I want more calm in my life, more time outdoors with the people I love and more present-moment focus (whether I’m working, writing or just hanging out).

Following Leo Babauta’s advice on changing habits, I will work on one area at a time and I’ll start small. So, for the month of January I’m going to try and meditate every day for 5 minutes. The great thing about meditation is that it has huge knock-on effects in other areas of your life. It’s the law of least effort. All you do is sit. And watch. And things really start to take off. I’ll be back at the end of the month to let you know how it goes. 



I’ll sign off with a picture of our New Year’s Day hike, on this misty morning here in Palencia. The New Year's Day hike is a tradition I've tried to keep up every year since my teenage days with the venture scouts. Not the coolest thing to admit to, I know, but believe me it’s a great way to start the year. Happy 2012 everyone!
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6 comments:

  1. Mo2 January 2012 at 16:56

    I admit I have some of your resolutions on my list too, especially the one about having more calm. I´d also like to improve my blog posts,or if I still meander I plan to do it with headings to make it more readable. Good luck with your plans!

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  2. Om in Mom3 January 2012 at 19:49

    Thanks Mo! I don't think you meander at all. Not like me anyway. I like your get-out clause "if I still meander I'll do it with headings"! Perhaps my new year's resolution will be more realistic if I allow myself the occasional meander, and just include a meander alert so people know which paragraphs to skip!

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  3. thebabywife3 January 2012 at 20:22

    Thank you for the lovely comment over on my blog.

    I think a New Years Day hike is greatly preferable to the usual way people spend NYD - with a hangover. I was sober, and found it nice to start a new year with a clear head

    x

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  4. Om in Mom6 January 2012 at 10:35

    Hi babywife! Believe me, I've gone on many a New Year's Day hike feeling the aftermath of the night before! It's a great way to clear your head though :-)

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  5. Mummy Whisperer23 January 2012 at 10:02

    Sounds like you've got it sorted - so many people pick too many resolutions and are bound to fail.

    A quick tip - if you struggle to do your 5 minutes any day, you can do a Zen type meditation while making a cup of tea. All you have to do is be more mindful of the smells, noises, sensations, heat/cold, etc etc. Really useful in a busy day.

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  6. Om in Mom23 January 2012 at 10:07

    Hi Mummy Whisperer, Thanks for dropping by. I came across you recently, but I can't remember where now. Maybe She Writes? Anyway, thanks for the cup-of-tea meditation tip. My 5 minutes a day is mostly going really well, but every now and again I "cheat" with a little mindful walking/chores etc, to replace sitting meditation if the need is there! I will remember your advice when I next brew up! Cheers. Louisa

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