It’s New Year’s again- so many folks making resolutions for this year… I’d like to share some of the best advice I ever got; maybe it will help you stay on track with your goals.
When my older daughter was born, her dad and I spent the first few days after the hospital at my folks’ house. All I had to do was take care of that precious baby and Mama took care of cooking, laundry, etc. She helped me learn how to give Mary Beth a bath, make sure her bottles were the right temperature, and everything else that came with taking care of a new baby.
Then when it was time to take her home, while Tommy and Mama packed the car, I sat in the porch swing with Daddy and held her. I started crying and Daddy wanted to know why – so I told him I was scared to death. I wasn’t sure I could do it- all the things that go with taking care of a baby! So many things to remember, so many things to be careful about- sticking her with diaper pins, having the milk too hot, diaper rashes… the list just went on and on.
So Daddy said, ‘What’s the very first thing you’re going to do when you get home?” I told him I would fix bottles for the next 24 hours; then he said, “then what?” so I said, “wash some diapers and get them ready.”
Then he said, “Don’t look past that- just get those two things done, and then figure out the next thing. Don’t think of everything you’ve got to do, just the next thing.”
And somehow that lifted the whole burden off me. I didn’t have a hundred things to do next, just one or two.
So as you’re working through the next few days, getting your goals in mind, don’t try to make yourself eat right, or study more, or work harder for the next 365 days. Just take today and do what you can today- and when tomorrow comes, do it again.
Happy New Year’s!