Grace can be such a paradox.  It’s something we often have no problem handing to others yet can’t seem to grant ourselves.  “Give yourself some grace.” is a sentence I’ve been told countless times.  If you’re the type A, perfectionist, OCD-type (aka super-annoying type) like me,  you know it can be nigh on impossible to forgive yourself when you don’t quite measure up.  But the question remains: measuring up to what?  Whose standards are we trying to meet?  Who are we trying to impress?

Now that we’re looking a new year square in the face, we’re being inundated with talk of setting goals, resolutions, changes, and all the joys of the ‘new year, new you’ craze.  More often than not, we set impossible resolutions that will only fall by the wayside come February at the latest.  Life happens.  The wonderful slowness of the holidays leaves, and the busy-ness of our everyday lives takes over right where it left off.

I don’t know about you, but I am more than ready to say, ‘Sayonara!’ to 2016.  Talk about a year of highs and lows.  It was one of those years where the good was great and the bad was awful.  I can honestly say just the last four months have been the most difficult of my life.  If it wasn’t for the grace and hope of Christ, I don’t know where I’d be.  How on earth people make it through difficult times without the Lord, I’ll never know.  It must simply feel hopeless.

So as I’ll be gleefully hanging my new 2017 calendar on the wall come Sunday, I’ll also be thanking the Lord for surviving 2016 and praying for grace in the new year.  Grace.  I love the thought of it.  Less goals, more grace.  For the last few years, I’ve chosen a theme word for the year, and it’s GRACE for 2017.

If I don’t lose the weight? Grace.  If I don’t get caught up on the countless photo books I’m desperately behind on?  Grace. (and Chatbooks- my new favorite!)  If I don’t get everything in the lesson plan finished?  Grace.  If my 3 year old doesn’t potty train?  Grace. Okay, time-out…this one is different, I will go completely insane- I mean he HAS to potty train- he’ll be FOUR in June!  Have mercy, I’ll need to up my meds. But still- GRACE.

I love setting goals.  Probably a little too much.  I never could find a planner I liked, so I made my own- complete with daily and monthly goals.  I realized over time this created a problem.  While everything looked great on paper, I was setting myself up for failure.  I was setting completely unrealistic goals, and not allowing for life to happen.  I was even viewing my children as little obstacles to completing my list. (Mother of the Year material right there!)

I’m trying to find a balance of writing down what absolutely needs to be accomplished and what is too lofty a goal.  I mean, when your child decides to ‘help’ you by changing his own diaper in the middle of the night, thus spreading the love all over his room,(cue freakout) you don’t exactly get to start your day in the solitude of sipping your smoothie while reading.  Let’s just say it puts a damper on the morning.

One thing I’ve decided, and I’ve asked for accountability in sticking to, is clearing my schedule.  2017 will not be the year of busy-ness.  I know some things cannot be helped, but many things can.  Our society thrives on activity, and it’s like Moms wear the constant back and forth as a badge of honor.  I can’t and I don’t.  I will learn to say “no” without the guilt.  My oldest will be 10 this year.(cue another freakout) Time is quickly marching on, and I can’t let life pass me by in a whirl of activity.

I challenge you Moms out there to grant yourselves grace in this new year.  If this isn’t the year you ‘get skinny’, so what?  That number on the scale is not the key to your happiness.  I can promise you your children don’t give a rip what you weigh.  Be their Mom.  Slow down and enjoy the little moments.  Don’t let life pass you by as you try to check off the to-do list and move on to the next thing.  Don’t wish away time.

Fewer goals, more GRACE.

2017 is going to be a blessed year.