It’s a brand new year filled will brand new possibilities. I love it when a new year rolls around. Every December, I take some time to contemplate the past year and what I want to do differently in the coming year. Well, this year, I’m doing a few “new” things. I say “new” because I’ve tried doing these things before and feel I need a do-over. Haven’t you ever felt that way? If you have, join me in these “new” things and start here with number one.
1. I’m Giving Myself Grace
Wow! This one is super hard for me. I tend to internalize and harbor guilt toward myself for not accomplishing A, B, or C when I feel I should have. So, I’m giving myself more grace when I fail and not quitting. I’m choosing to press on anyway. I realized this is also good for my kids to see. It’s okay to fail – that’s how we learn.
2. I’m Making Time to Read More
If you’ve read any of my posts here, you’ve probably seen that I love to read a fair bit. I love reading a wide variety of novels and talking to others about them. We did something new last year and made our home a reading haven. We started reading from 2:30-3:00 every day. Well, life happens and there were many days that we just didn’t read. So, I’m starting fresh this year!
It’s important for me to make reading a priority because it is so life-giving for our family. Even if it’s only for 10 minutes.
3. I’m Listening to Like-Minded People
I’ve discovered that I LOVE listening to podcasts. I’ve tried to listen to them in the past but I was never faithful about it. So far this month, I’ve listened to over 4 podcasts with a total of about 20 episodes. Here’s
- While doing dishes
- Cooking dinner
- Cleaning the bathrooms
- Doing laundry
My Current Favorite Podcasts
- The Crystal Paine Show (30 minutes)
- What Should I Read Next? (30-45 minutes)
- Read Aloud Revival (30-45 minutes)
- Titus 2 Minute (10-15 minutes)
I usually download some of these and listen to them while I travel as well.
4. I’m Committing to Plan Better
Again, if you’ve been here before you know I’m a planner girl! But these past couple of months, ugh. Epic fail. Now that it’s a new year, I’ve got my planner set up and I’m committing to write things down. Seriously, it really helps me to just “brain dump” and get it all out on paper. I love using these resources for all my planning. I love to simplify things and these resources have helped out a lot.
5. I’m Slowing Down
Lastly, and definitely not least, I’m slowing down. When I have a TON of stuff to do, I tend to kick into high gear and just get it done. But, I’m often left feeling scattered and I don’t like that feeling. Although there are things I can’t take off my plate, I can work on slowing my spirit down.
These are the “new” things I’m recommitting to this year. What new things are you doing this year to add to your life? I’d love to hear about them.
-Danielle