Just say NO! My Less Is More Resolution

Ahh? just like that, 2017 is almost over. Where did this year go?! It?s like we look forward to the holidays all year, and then BAM?they are here, done with, and suddenly we are ringing in the New Year with a toast, a kiss, and an early bedtime?ha! Really, though, 2018 has snuck up on me, and I am pausing (briefly) to reflect on all of the things I am hopeful for in this coming year. Since I have about five quiet minutes to myself each day, do you think I am actually going to come up with a list of resolutions that are lofty yet somewhat, maybe, probably not attainable? Yeah, no. Not gonna’ happen. I don?t want YOU to feel like you have to make a huge list of resolutions that you will feel guilty for not achieving either!  No way. 

While I am all for setting goals for yourself (my world revolves around transformation!), I actually do believe that less IS more. This year, I am trading in my lengthy to-do list and instead am adopting a one word theme?something simple, yet profound, that I personally need to work on. This word applies to every area of my life and will truly make a positive impact on not only me, but on those around me. So, what’s my theme for 2018? Drum roll, please…

No. Nope. Nada. Zilch. Nein. 

Outfit Details: Sweater (last seen here, similar here (Bonus: under $25) and here), notebook 

That’s right, this year I am saying NO. Being a self-employed working mom is extremely difficult. While I am so lucky to have a genuine passion for what I do, it’s that same passion that makes it nearly impossible to turn down ANY business opportunity, big or small. While many sacrifices are necessary in order to maintain and grow my business, I have to find a balance. At the core of this is the realization that I need to learn to say NO so that I can say YES to other important things. I am only one person. I cannot do it all, as much as I would like to believe I can! The power of NO is huge. Learning to say NO means you can say YES to what truly matters. Let that sink in for a moment? powerful, isn?t it? One little word is going to be life-changing for me this year. 2018 will be completely shaped by saying NO to things I can’t add to my life in order to say YES to what really should hold a place in my world.

There is another, equally important segment to saying NO, and that is learning to LET GO. My own personal way of saying NO also extends as far as relinquishing control to someone else, trusting they will complete the task for me. I care SO much about everything I have worked hard for, so I have a very hard time releasing things from my control. But I’m realizing that I don?t have to do ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING myself. I even have a difficult time letting Chris take the wheel from me! However, I can (and MUST!) hand over details of my day and my world to trusted people who are more than capable of handling them. I can learn to let go and let others step in and help. If I am going to say YES to what matters most, then I have to learn to let go. Who can relate?! Now that I?ve said it here, I am holding myself to not only saying NO, but also to learning to LET GO.

Outfit Details: Tank, Jeans (Bonus: Under $35), Simplify Bracelet, Hat
Favorite Nope Items:

This year, I’m challenging you to rip up that list of resolutions and pick a word or two as your theme for the new year. Pick something simple that can apply to most, if not all, areas of your life to make you a better you in 2018. Once you decide on your theme, do me a favor and leave it in the comments below for a chance to win an entry to our upcoming DietBet game?Get Lean in 2018 with Heidi and Chris Powell!

   

That’s right, we couldn’t let 2018 kick off without a good ol’ fashioned DietBet game! If you?re not familiar with how DietBet works, it?s simple: Bet $30 on THE MOST important person (you, of course!), lose 4% of your body weight in 30 days, and split the pot (which is continually growing, BTW) with all of the other winners. Awesome, right? It?s like getting paid to lose weight! Get all of the deets here…and…this DietBet game has a special bonus! Each player can get The TRANSFORM App for $1 for 30 days!

Now go get to work thinking of YOUR theme for 2018 for the chance to win a FREE entry to our DietBet game!! Can’t wait to hear what you’ll be focusing on for the next 12 months!

Xoxo,

Heidi

Related reading:

6 Secrets to Success: How to Reach Your Goals This Year
How SMART Are Your Goals?
5 Steps to a Powerful, No Fail, New Year?and Beyond
You can do anything but not everything.
Reignite Your Fire to Achieve Your Goals!
How I Manage My (Im)Perfectly Balanced Life
Working Moms: The Glory and the Struggle

16 Responses

  1. My motto will be Remember about me

    It?s been a tough last year and a half raising my now 5 year old son on my own since his dad passed away. I focussed so much on making sure he was ok that I forgot about myself.

    Signed up for the app and just completed my first week – thank you

  2. My words for 1018 are ?No?, ?balance? and ?sleep?. With work, 3 children and husband?s rotating work schedule, these all go hand in hand and also stand on their own for equal importance in what I need to work on in my life.

  3. Hi, Heidi! I’m so excited for 2018! So much happened in 2017 including a new house, New jobs for my husband and I and a new baby! This year I need to focus on myself more for the sake of my family.
    This year my theme is FORWARD PROGRESS.
    In all areas of life we will have hurdles and setbacks, but this year my goal is to accept that they’ve happened, leave them in the dust, and keep pushing.
    Happy New Year! XOXO

  4. My words are No, Let it go and Finish. I too am guilty of saying Yes to so many things out of guilt. A result of this is, I sacrifice several things when I say yes. It ultimately causes me to say No to things that pertain to me. I need to LET GO and let others take on these task. This will allow me to FINISH chores, stick to my health goals and projects that are important to me. Thanks Heidi for your post! It helped put some things in perspective. ?

  5. Great challenge!! 2017 has been a tough year for me and I know some of the reasons are having a baby (I get super sickness while pregnant), money being super tight, learning how to be a mom of two kids (mostly solo bc my husband is super busy), no sleep, and just feeling like I need to refine myself!! I would say my focus words are Read (for myself and to my children), Pray (God knows how to help me more than I can myself), Serve (this is the best way to become our best selves and to give back!!). I loved your challenge for December!!

    So my three: READ, PRAY, SERVE!!!:)

  6. Hi Heidi, having just completed your 5 day challenge, thanks for the sore muscles by the way, I think my theme for 2018 will be to feel more beautiful. Since the universe is based upon how you feel it?s important to draw feelings of being beautiful. I believe my success will be achievable through remembering how I felt when I felt beautiful. It will make me focus on making the right choices to achieve my goal of sustained weight loss and becoming fit and healthy for life.

  7. My two words for the year are determination and discernment. I have a hard time listening when God is speaking. I know I have a calling to empower women, but I shirk those duties. So, the mantra for the year is “and so it is…”

  8. My goal for 2018 is to be more present in the moment. With three kids, a demanding full time job and a long list of extracariculars I find I?m always thinking ahead to what?s coming next and am I ready for it. I want to just come home, put my phone down and enjoy my babies and enjoy what?s actually happening while it?s all flying by!

  9. Oh my gosh! I am a self employed mama of three under five and this year my theme is no as well I just felt dumb about it till reading this!! I love it so no so I can say yes to things that matter!!! So that was/is my theme-no. So excited to see what this year brings!!

  10. Love this! It’s so easy to feel guilty about saying ‘no’ to others yet rarely saying ‘yes’ to ourselves. My 2018 “plan” is to make my home healthier. Clean more often, play with the kids more, make healthier choices etc. I’m trying carb cycling for the first time so I hope to be able to find healthier options for my toddlers and be the best example for them. Thanks Heidi for all your wonderful advice and enjoy your family this NYE.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

CHOOSE A DATE: