Hey Everyone,
I hope your 2020 is off to a great start! 2019 was the year in which for the first time in two years I actually felt like I had this whole parenting thing somewhat in control. Honestly, I have no recollection of 2017 it was all diaper changes, feedings, and my head in the clouds. 2017 was the year I had two kids under two! 2018 seemed to be all tantrums, sleepless nights, more diaper changes, and chasing the boys! Needless to say in 2019 we still had sleepless nights, sick kids, meltdowns as we started our kids in preschool, but it felt like I could actually breathe and we were in kind of a cruise control since my older one officially got potty trained, his asthma got under control, and he got over his separation anxiety. Enrolling him in preschool even for a few hours did wonders for that boy! This gave me all the more confidence to enroll my younger one too for a few days. I learned as a parent it was okay to get a couple hours to myself. Granted I have yet to learn how to be more productive with that time because for a while it was just overwhelming to realize I was kid free for a few hours.
Through this new found freedom of time I gained the confidence to finally take a girls trip with my sisters and step away from mommin’ for a 48 hour trip to New York City which was such a nice and refreshing breath of fresh air. Ali and I also took a couple 24 hour trips sporadically through the year with the help of nieces, nephews, and my in-laws who stepped in to watch the kids. Yes, it takes a village to raise my kids!
I signed up to be a substitute teacher in the boys’ school which was a rewarding and exhausting experience. Some days I felt like I was dropping my own kids to their classes only to take on the responsibility of eighteen more toddlers. But most days it was so much fun and rewarding especially when the kids showered me with more hugs and love than my own. As a substitute teacher I gained more patience as a parent and learned ways to engage my own kids at home more creatively not to mention my boys were over the moon the days I substituted in their classrooms I have to admit that was a nice feeling. As a mom of boys I want to take in all those moments and feelings because when they become teenagers I know it wont be the same, perks of having nieces and nephews at a young age I guess, I know how those cute kids turnout when they grow up! (And if my nieces/nephews are reading this, I still love you all, haha!)
This year I also got to spend a lot of time with my sister-in-law who was visiting from Pakistan. That was probably the highlight of our summer the boys got to meet and play with their cousins they had met when they were newborns. I got to travel and connect with my sister-in-law for the first time since I’ve been married. She’s a dermatologist in Pakistan so she gave me some of the best skincare advice. She has three boys and a girl, her heart is just as full as her hands if you ask me. The kids were such a pleasure to have here because Rayyan was basically entertained all day by his cousins and gained this sudden desire to be just like his “older” cousins.
Towards the end of the year my faith grew stronger I began to pray more and my prayers turned into a form of meditation for me. Trying to pray five times a day helped structure my day better. I felt there was more productivity in my day. I learned the importance of gratitude and giving myself grace on the hard days. I began to realize that even though certain things didn’t go my way there was a greater plan out there no matter how difficult it was to believe that on some occasions. And there are still some days I go off track and question the random happenings that may upset me but I just have to keep building on that faith and make each day better.
I realized that my biggest struggle in many aspects of my life was consistency whether it be this blog, exercise, reading, or even with goals I set. If I fell off the beaten path I’d suddenly label myself as having failed and that immediately demotivated me. But then I met a lady on this platform who told me it was okay to loose direction but what was more important was to lift myself back up, set small goals, and reward myself. I’m nowhere near perfection but so long as I keep getting back up and finding my way to my very own definition of success I’ll keep getting better.
Setting smaller goals has helped with consistency and my productivity. With that being said here are a few small goals I’ve set out for myself for this year. And you all are welcome to hold me accountable on these goals since I’m sharing them so publicly.
- Be more consistent with content on the blog/instagram
- Be more consistent with exercise (Signing up for a race and actually doing it!)
- Learn to swim, yes this is something I never learned, I can do some form of swimming but if I had to survive in an ocean or the “deep end” of the pool—NOPE!
- Read at least one book a month (This month I’m reading Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Everisto)
- Read/Understand the Quran by reading at least an Ayah a day with translation
Keeping it short and simple for this year! Here’s to a prosperous, healthy, and adventurous 2020!
What are some goals you have set for 2020?
Have any of you trained for a half marathon? Did you train with an app? If so, which app?