Y Talk: Resolution Success by Michelle Bell

It was almost a year ago to the day that I made my New Year’s resolution for 2015. It was my turn to write the Y’s weekly blog and I figured it was a pretty timely topic. But when I started writing I really had no idea what my resolution would be. As I started putting my thoughts on the page it came to me—I wanted to intentionally carve out time to spend with my husband, kids, other family members and friends. Hence my resolution:

I, Michelle Bell, resolve to make a “date” at least once a month in 2015 to spend quality time with one or more of my favorite people. (You can read the whole blog entry here and an update three months later here.)

Life gets busy, but I wanted to be sure I was making an attempt to show the important people in my life that they mattered to me.

I am happy to report that I completed my resolution and had 24 amazing dates this past year with people who are very near and dear to me! No, that’s not a typo. My husband felt he deserved more than just one month, so I made an addendum to my original resolution and scheduled one date with him every month in addition to my dates with other people.

Every date involved food, but that was the only similarity. It was great to experience so many different things with so many different people. We kayaked, we shopped, we ran races, we watched movies and musicals and we talked…a lot.

I enjoyed time with people who have known me my whole life, some who I met during those awkward middle school years and others I have only known for a few years. Most months my dates were with just one person. But on two occasions the dates were with multiple people. No matter whom I was with, every single time I went home with a smile on my face and an overflowing heart.

Unexpected Results

I have had a lot of people ask me about this resolution the past few weeks. It’s natural that we start to think about changes we want to make as the New Year approaches. If you are tossing around ideas of things to start or stop in 2016, I encourage you to think about ways you can invest in the lives of others. You might be surprised what happens.

My original intention with this resolution was to show these 12+ people how much they mean to me. I really hope that happened and that they felt valued after the time we spent together. But as the months ticked by I saw something else happening as a result of this resolution. My idea of quality time spent with my loved ones changed. I craved meaningful time spent with family and friends. I became dissatisfied with sitting on the couch with my family, each with our electronic device of choice in his/her hand. This idea of giving someone your undivided attention became more of the norm for me.

There was just one problem—no one else in my family made this same resolution.

The Perfect Gift

As the holidays drew near, my family began asking me what I wanted for Christmas. I really struggled coming up with ideas for my husband and kids. Finally it dawned on me. I wanted gifts of presence. I wanted to be able to schedule a date with my family to spend time together. So on Christmas morning I opened envelopes from my kids with certificates for a kayaking trip, a hike, a family bike ride and even an activity of my choice. My amazing husband also added a line on each certificate that the activities would be done without any complaining or crying—a true Christmas miracle.

My kids thought I was a little silly when I cried as I opened each envelope. But when my oldest son started his freshman year of high school this past fall, it really hit me how little time I have left with him under my roof. So when I cash in these certificates in 2016 I pray that we will make memories that will stay with us forever. And I pray that with each activity I might pass along to my children the desire to give others one of the most valuable things you can ever give—the gift of your time and attention.

-by Michelle Bell, Marketing Director