Applications Submitted? 5 Ways to Really Kick-off Your New Year Now!
Let’s face it, goal setting can be exhausting. Although goals can be important, they require time, attention, and dedication. And so much of our attention as parents is focused on our children.
What if this year you try to give yourself a bit more grace when it comes to setting and following through on your new year’s intentions?
Here are five ways you can start the new year that put your long-term interests front and center
#1: Be Intentional About Your Time
Time is our greatest asset, and in 2023, let’s treat it as such! Let this year finally be the one where you set boundaries and feel guilty-free about saying no.
We encourage you to remember: if you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will. In essence, you should be the first one in your life to call the shots.
If you’re a people pleaser, you know how hard this can be! Just remember that the more you practice intentionally saying yes, the more people will respect you, your time, and your skills. Give this a try for responding when asked to do something, “I wish I could, but there are other things I need to say yes to.”
To put this into practice, start by setting boundaries with your personal life and then with work. Take note of where work and life bleed into each other; this is where you’ll need to establish that clear separation! It’s not too late to teach others, including our own family, how to “work” with us versus letting them dictate how you should “work” with them! You’ve got this!!
#2: Lead Your Life Rather than Following It
It’s easy to fall into the trap of new year fads and satisfying goal setting planners. But remember the most important part: if you want your new habits to stick, make them realistic.
If you want to spend more time reading this year, don’t set a goal to read for an hour per day if that isn’t something you already do. Instead, notice when you do read and see if you can increase that time by a few minutes. Soon enough, you’ll be reading much more than you thought.
What are some self-care strategies that you can treat yourself to? It can even be something different each day! For 2023 I started keeping a self-care and movement journal, where I simply write down each day two things: 1) what I did to care for myself and 2) what I did for my movement. Every day is different but only a few weeks in, I am loving leading with my thoughts around my self-care and movement!
#3: Plan Fun with Your Kids
Whatever activity your children are into, we encourage you to lean in, too. Understanding and learning more about what your children love to do can help you both create core memories and increase quality time. And maybe you’ll even develop some fun hobbies!
Also, remember that fun doesn’t have to be a formal outing or something that requires a ton of effort! When my kids were young we would have “backwards” nights and they’d take a tub first, but a big fun bubble bath of a tub! Then, pajamas and books and then we’d make dinner. Not just any dinner but breakfast for dinner! Their backwards dinner of choice was always pancakes and scrambled eggs, and we would have fun options for the pancakes (e.g. Snickers, M&M’s, blueberries, or bananas to name a few). Then it was really time for bed! We were present, it was fun, and our interactions were full of laughter and love!
Who knows what you can come up with, but I can assure you that it’s good for you and your family! Your kids will remember these memories and the fun times with you, and you will miss it when they are out of the house!
#4: Make Time for your Own Playdates!
Speaking of hobbies and fun, don’t forget to make time for your own play! You might not think you have time to go for a hike, bake, or practice your photography, but spending time on yourself and with yourself is a simple way to increase your happiness this year.
If you can find friends who share the same hobbies, the better! Sharing these experiences with others is one way to get your dose of social connection, all while doing something you love. And if it’s hard to do in-person, you can also find connections through virtual affinity groups or areas of interest, too!
My husband has always loved old diners, having grown up in Pennsylvania where they are plentiful. And as a family of five, we love to cook with our kids, relatives, and friends! When our oldest son went off to college, he started really growing his love of diners into more of a hobby with an Instagram account called @dinerdayintheusa which is where he has combined his love of diner food, photography, and historic diners into one! Whenever time allows, we’re always searching out and trying new diners across the country! And the fun that comes with it, not to mention all the interesting people that we have met, is remarkably refreshing!
Follow your interests and your passions, and explore ways that you can turn those interests into ways to increase your own happiness. You’ll be surprised at how good it will feel to do more and more things that are for you!
#5: Soothe Yourself: Keeping it Stable
We’re here to reiterate the importance of making yourself a priority, amidst all you have done thus far with your private school admissions process. You “get” it….you know that new routines are important for self-care, but so is establishing a sense of stability too!
Remember to keep it realistic! And keep those items on your plate that keep things stabilized, too. For some, that means using your desk calendar because that just works for you, even though everyone has jumped to the digital family calendar systems. And that’s okay - you do you! Spending a few minutes listening to your gut instincts and that inner voice are great ways to establish time for you in the small pockets of your life!
Happy 2023! We hope these tips will help you give yourself grace, put the focus on YOU, and help you to be as present as possible!
Which tips are you most excited to implement?