Things I Want to Do Differently This Year

I have never been one for New Years resolutions. I gave up on that after the 4th year of writing “lose 10 pounds” and then it not happening. I also struggle with the idea that overnight from December to January, I am supposed to flip a switch and my life will be something different. I still feel like the same person, with a messy house and breakfast to be made for hungry boys who are awake by 6am.

However, I do believe that setting intentions and building habits is important for me and also for my family. It is an important skill I want to get better at. To pause from the day to day business. To reflect and think and feel. This is often hard for me to do.

But this year has challenged all of us. To slow down, to lower expectations of ourselves, to be comfortable in the unknown, and to rely on each other more than ever before.

Of the many things we have learned this year, there are a few intentions I want to share with you for this year (OR — from now going forward):

1. SHARE MY GOALS — Before this year, I didn’t really share my personal goals or goals for my business outside of my closest colleagues and inner friend circle. But this year, my husband and my kids have essentially been my coworkers. They are my cheerleaders and my coffee break buddies. Now that I have let them in to my internal conversations, my planning, and my dreams, I see how invested they are in me and my success. Going forward, I am not going to hesitate to share what I am striving for so that they can join in the struggles and triumphs.
2. PLAY — We watched a lot of TV this year. And I am fine with that. But, we also started playing games. It has been really fun watching the kids get better and more strategic as we all play. I will remember our open-handed games of UNO where our youngest celebrated when he got a “Draw 4” card. Now he knows how to fan out the cards in his hand and how to deal the wild cards with the best of them. We just added a “game table” — a small table on the side of our living room — and I cannot wait to play more and more with them. It always leads to a fun evening and of course reminds us all about winning gracefully and learning from a loss. We are taking great game recommendations.
3. TAKE ACTION — Back earlier in this year, Leslie Dwight wrote a poem that went viral. “What if 2020 isn’t cancelled? What if 2020 is the year we’ve been waiting for?…” I am reminded of that as we start a new year. We are living in challenging times. Where over 350,000 people died in our cities and towns across the U.S. leaving family and friends behind. Where Black women are three to four times more likely to die in childbirth than white women. Where our planet is under stress from climate change. I do not want this reckoning to pass. I don’t want people who have finally woken up to go back to sleep. I am setting my own intention. A promise to myself and others that I will act. I will speak up. I will advocate. I will work to fix our systems that are broken for so many and for our planet.

So next time I head into the kitchen for my coffee break, I know what our conversations can be about.