A few months ago, I had the pleasure of reading The Outcast by Jolina Petersheim. Fresh-faced and earnest, Jolina is the kind of woman that you just want to soak up her presence. She would be the person who give the advice to you in a moment of hard times- the advice that would be so poignant- and yet so simple. I eagerly await Jolina’s next book!

Jolina Petersheim 2014 Resolution

Over the past few weeks (and especially since I learned about this guest post), I’ve contemplated my resolutions for 2014.

I even thought about keeping a list in the kitchen, where I spend a majority of my time, but I never got around to writing them down until now:

• Keep my computer, closet, and kitchen organized (i.e.: child-proof everything).
• Send Christmas cards and/or photos (it takes a year for me to gear up).
• Get up at six to write (unless Miss A is teething, then all bets are off).
• Run in a 5-K with my sisters-in-law.
• Have a weekly date with my daughter and husband (preferably on separate nights).

I will actually try to meet most of these resolutions (well, maybe not the Christmas cards . . . or the running bit).

But then I started thinking about when I’m so busy being busy, I miss out on the beauty of everyday life.

So, over the past few days, I have gone in the opposite direction and made an effort to be still.

Well, I have a toddler, so I haven’t been still as much as I have forced myself to embrace the moments not jotted down on my to-do list.

• Yesterday, when my daughter put my fleece hat in my lap and then motioned for me to put it on my head, I obeyed, promptly bundled her up in her own hat, coat, and boots, and we went outside for a walk—going downhill together hand-in-hand.
• When she dumped water over the edge of the tub—saturating the rug on the bathroom floor—I just rolled it up and continued sitting there, reading my book, until my daughter lifted her chubby little arms, letting me know that she wanted out.
• On our daily walk, instead of just waving at my neighbor as he passed me on the road, I motioned for him to pull over, and we chatted about his grandkids and his health.
• I stood outside, listening to the snow geese migrating north.
• I read more books to my daughter; I read more books from my To-Be-Read pile, too!
• I unplugged from the Internet for longer periods of time.
• My daughter and I played with marigolds seeds—the flowers long having frozen in the garden.

All of these simple, exquisite moments would have been lost amid the hustle and bustle of everyday life if I hadn’t made an effort to go with the flow instead of fighting against the current—eager to reach my destination and check off another to-do from my New Year’s list.

Now, I also realize that life is going to resume its pace once the holidays are officially over. But I figure that if my main New Year’s Resolution is to be present in the moment, I will make more of an effort to enjoy life rather than trying to squeeze every second of productivity from the hours that I’ve been given.

What are some of your favorite ways to “waste” time?

If you enjoyed reading Jolina’s resolution, please visit her at her website and tell her!