My New Year's Resolution

So, readers, we are a week into 2016. How do you feel? My body is trying to adjust to waking up to an alarm again, washing my hair on a regular basis, and not eating whenever and whatever I want. This was easier 10 years ago, let me tell ya.

I have a love-hate relationship with New Year's Resolutions. I always make a professional/classroom one that I'm pretty good to stick to at least till April (I mean May is like another December, am I right?), but the personal ones I make fall short. I know the reason for this is because I consume myself with my job. This isn't a bad thing because I adore my job. But I always try to do a resolution for me and I rarely follow through.

This year, however, I felt I needed to make a change in myself. You see, I am a book LOVER. My problem with books is though is similar to my problem with Netflix and video games. When I read my books, it consumes me and I binge-read. Well, as a teacher, let's face it... I don't have all the time in the world to binge-read. I'll read a few pages at 11pm and fall right asleep. Now in the summer, it's different. I devour books like there's no tomorrow. But I feel like a part of me is missing during the other 9 months of the year.

So here's my resolution. I will put my phone down earlier at night. I will turn off Netflix and the video games and TpT (so hard!) and I will pick that book up earlier in the evening.

I found this reading challenge floating around Facebook over the Winter Break and it's totally manageable for me. I finally tracked down the image as belonging to Modern Mrs. Darcy. The promise I'm making myself though is that I will not read all 12 books over the summer. I will start now and try to aim for a book a month. I owe this me-time to myself.

Teachers, our job is an amazing one. Our job is also a stressful one. Make time for yourself this year. You deserve it.