#BecauseICan.

{Thanks so much to Diet Coke for sponsoring this post and thank YOU for supporting the brands that make Simple Stylings possible. By partnering with wonderful brands like Diet Coke, I’m able to continue bringing fresh, original content to you for free! All designs, ideas and opinions are my own of course. The amazing photos are by Danielle Gallo Photography}

I’m not really a resolution kind of person. I don’t like to hold myself to an impossible standard just because it’s a new year. But, I do like a good clean slate and the power that new beginnings bring. I’m going to call this my anti-resolution. 

If I’m going to make a shift in my life I want it to be attainable, I want there to be passion behind it. So many times I’ve made empty resolutions – like many of you I’m sure – that lasted a couple of weeks never to be thought of again. 

I’ve spent the last couple of years making sure that the important shifts I wanted to make in my life actually stuck. And guess what, they did! By no means am I perfect and I’m really NEVER on top of my game, but I’ve done things I never thought I could do. I’m stronger mentally and physically than I’ve probably ever been because I finally made some decisions and committed to them.

And I know because I can, you can too!

#MomLife

Being a single mom is super hard! When I adopted my son in 2010 I kind of convinced myself it would be easy. Then I cut down on my working hours so that I could be an even better mom. That was pretty darn hard too. But it’s my greatest joy and I knew from the depths of my soul that I could do it.

Often I’m at the end of my to-do list rope, money is tight and I just want to go sit in a dark movie theater by myself and eat a bucket of popcorn :) Then I look at his face and think of the support I have from my family and everything is right in the world again.

And moms, let’s cut ourselves some slack! When you feel overwhelmed give yourself permission to take a breather. Get a little treat and escape to a corner in your house and read a book for 10 minutes. Write in a gratitude journal or just do some breathing exercises. Taking a few minutes for yourself can dramatically change the course of your day so you can handle All.The.Things.

#StrongIsTheNewPretty

It took me a looooong time (like almost 40 years) before I finally committed to a consistent exercise routine and really good eating habits. I’m pretty frugal so shelling out what felt like a monthly car payment to belong to a gym was difficult to say the least. Then upping my grocery bill for better quality food was another big blow. But don’t they say, some of the hardest decisions are the best decisions? Not really sure if that’s true but it was for me!

Now when I look in the mirror I’m excited to see muscles and don’t really care what the scale says (I actually don’t even own one!). If you asked me 10 or even 5 years ago if I thought I would be doing Crossfit 3-5 times a week and eating a paleo-ish diet (ish is definitely the key – I love the 80/20 rule!), I would have called you crazy. But guess what…I did it and so can you!

#FriendsLastALifetime

The beauty of true friendship is that it if you nurture it, it can last a lifetime. And the thing that is even better is that you know your friendship is real if they are forgiving when you have to pull back. It might seem like they’re on the back burner when actually you’re just in a crazy season of life. The true ones – they get it.

And even in the most chaotic of times, you can find yourself in the midst of brand new friends that can help keep you sane. My advice is to nurture those old friends but be open to cultivating new ones. You never know when someone will walk into your life at exactly the right moment.

If you missed the Diet Coke float recipe you can find it HERE!

#GivingIsGetting

I’ve always had a heart for giving back but for most of my adult/parenthood life I’ve felt too overwhelmed, time restricted or maybe just lacked the confidence to get involved. Once I made serving others a priority (when I could – no act is too big or too small) my heart opened more and I began to receive.

Compassion, empathy, partnership. These are all ways in which I have grown through service and giving, even when I didn’t have the extra time or money. It really is true what they say about priorities. If it’s something you want, you make it a priority. Let’s make it happen people!

***

Even in all of the chaos and busyness that modern life brings I can still smile and laugh and be in the moment. I might not be a millionaire but I use what I have to make my family’s life as great as possible. I might not have 500 Facebook friends but I have a handful of really great ones. My body isn’t close to perfect but I can darn well do a squat and a few burpees!

I’m telling you this because life is hard, let’s not pretend that it’s easy. When you’ve got cats on the countertop, kids that need to be in three places at once, when you can’t bear another disappointment – hang in there! :)

Let’s make this a year of gratitude, of can-do’s not just want-to’s! Go conquer those fears, try something new, stretch beyond your comfort zone. Stop making meaningless, temporary changes and start creating lifestyle shifts that will sustain you for the long haul.

Now go grab a Diet Coke (especially a new flavor – my favorite is Blood Orange!) and put pen to paper. I promise you won’t regret it!

#BecauseYouCan

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Cheers!