It’s 2019! We made it to another calendar year. And while, as humans, we love the idea of new beginnings, a new year won’t magically change anything. Okay, maybe that’s a lie: Your health insurance limits may reset. You can go finish that root canal and resume the chiropractic appointments. However, I’d like to offer a bit of advice by sharing the promise I made myself for the new year.

This year I would like to promise myself to practice more acceptance. I don’t mean to imply I’ll be complacent with my ambition this year. I intend on remaining a hard worker, a loyal wife, a relatively healthy eater, and a hands-on mother. What I’d like to accept are the small annoyances, the things that don’t matter. I’d like to set a boundary on what gets my head space and what I need to disregard.

In Practice.

About once a month, my computer settings magically change, and I no longer hear notification sounds for new IMs in Slack. After a visit into my register and a quick numerical update, my computer remembers what to do … until the next time. This used to infuriate me. “Why can’t the software work! Why is my computer such a @#$%!” Instead, I need to accept this.

If I can’t figure out what setting is causing the issue, then it’s my responsibility to make the update. And since I already know what to Google and where to go, I need to just do it! The time savings on this task alone might seem small, but the lower blood pressure and my calm state of mind influence my day and my attitude.

For my family, Christmas, my son’s birthday, and New Year’s Eve all occur in a one-week period. This year he turned one, so it was our first exposure to the craziness. Last year, we were in a haze of the newborn baby smell, daily naps, and maternity/paternity leave bliss. This year, we juggled family visits, full time jobs, and event planning. The same thing is going to happen next year. So, l’ll plan a little bit better. But I just have to accept that things will get a little overwhelming and give myself and those around me some grace.  

This year is not about drastic changes for me. I just want to learn to be grateful for all I have — and to only allow my mind to dwell on the positive.

If I can do that, accepting the rest will be easy.