15 Things That We Will Focus On More, Alter, And No Longer Give A Sh*T About Or Put Up With In 2020

I am not a huge fan of that whole New-Year-New-Me-Bullshit. Because of so many reasons. At the top of the list. When the ball drops, you're still the same person you were at 11:59 p.m. as you are at 12:01 a.m. Sure, you have new goals and ambitions. I'm certainly not knocking that.  But, to add to the pressure this year, it will not only be the start of a new year, but it's also the start of a new decade.

We do not have any New Year's Resolutions that will begin at the stroke of midnight. We are not going to purchase exercise equipment, dole out a huge chunk of money on meal replacement shakes, omit an entire food group, or throw away our candy jar.

As the saying goes, "Don't expect any New Year's Resolutions from me. I intend on staying the same awkward, sarcastic, foul-mouthed delight you've all come to know and love."

Instead, during the month of December, we came up with 15 things that we will focus on more, alter, and no longer give a shit about or put up with in 2020.

1. Being liked. As the saying goes, "Have the courage to be disliked."

2. Being careful with what we tolerate. Because throughout that process, we are teaching people how to treat us. There is a lot that we will no longer tolerate.

3. What you allow is what will continue. We stopped allowing certain things. We chose to speak up. Speak out. We will not allow anyone to yell and swear at us, disrespect us, use us, throw us under the bus, and lie to us.

4. Lazy parenting. If you allow your kid, teen, or young adult to yell and swear at us with no consequences, well...fine. That only speaks worlds about how you feel about us. And, you're no better because you're allowing it.

5. Judgement. Enough said.

6. Writing in my voice. If the shoe fits, wear it. If you don't like what I write, don't read it. I don't air other people's dirty laundry nor do I publish names. But, I am going to write freely about situations that directly effect us. If you wanted me to write warmly about you or the situation, you should have behaved better.

7. Friendships. "Just because you lost me as a friend does not mean you gained an enemy. I'm bigger than that. I still wanna see you eat, just not at my table." ~Tupac Shakur~

8. What we eat. It's all about moderation. But, more so, what is homemade. We have gone from ordering takeout 4-5 days a week to once a month...if that. Our kid's meals and snacks are all homemade. The meals and snacks that Lisa and I eat are 95% homemade. Homesteading takes a lot of time and dedication, but it's SO worth it.

9. Being provoked. It happens almost every single day. But, we are bigger and wiser than that. Please don't expect a reaction from us. If the noise or distractions get too loud, we have our means of drowning it out.

10. Consistency. We no longer have the time for those who only come around when they need or want something. We're done with that.

11. Fruit bowl. We have a gorgeous fruit bowl that is rather old. On occasion, it's stocked, however, I'm determined to keep it well stocked with fresh fruit. All. The. Time.

12. Focus. We are not going to allow the unfavorable behaviors of others to distract us from our goals and daily routine. We've allowed that for far too long. Enough is enough. We've brushed ourselves off too many times. We are in "face forward, onward march" mode.

13. Our silence. "It's not when my voice is raised that you should worry, it's when I have nothing more to say." ~J. Iron Word~

14. More random acts of kindness and gratitude. The other day while in the drive-thru line at Dunkin Donuts, Lisa noticed the tiny, elderly woman behind her. Lisa paid for her order. The drive-thru employee told Lisa that the lady behind her was a regular. Once a month, she treated herself to a pound of coffee. As Lisa drove away, she looked in her mirror. She told me, "The sweet lady was waving at me so hard I thought her arm was going to fall off." We always extend our gratitude and spread kindness. But, is there such a thing as too often? Nope. We need to do more of that.

15. Pride. We are proud to be Bodacious Dog Moms. We are proud of our home. We are proud of our work ethic. We are proud that we were raised by hardworking parents who instilled a lot of values. We are proud to work hard for what we have. We are proud to be "Old Fashioned." We are proud of our daily life. We are proud of the neighbor friends who have become family. We are proud of our marriage. We are proud of the difficult times that we have gotten through. Etc...