I love the start of a fresh new year! A new calendar without any obligations charted, chores listed or projects planned. A chance to reflect on the old and dream about the year ahead. We’ve had a challenging couple of years, and it looks like 2022 will be filled with its own hurdles for our family.
Along with my husband’s ongoing active duty status due to covid, he will now be taking on a long-term tour overseas later this year. Although it’s not the first time we’ve faced a deployment, it is never easy. But I’ve resolved to take one day at a time and enjoy the days we have together. That’s pretty much been my M.O. for the past couple of years, so I’ve had practice.
As with every new year, I have high ambitions for the year ahead. I’m not going to share everything I have planned, but one project I am excited about is my cleanse. This is not one of the popular juice cleanses, but rather a house cleanse. I’m working on deep cleaning and decluttering each room in our home over the course of the year, breaking it down so it’s not as overwhelming as trying to do it all in one go. Each month I’ll target a different room in the house and break up the plan into to doable daily jobs with one day off per week. In order to stay on task I’ll use the annual goal tracker that I made earlier this year. You can download a free copy below. Included in the download is a 12 month calendar with daily habit tracker, goals and to do list.
I’m beginning with the kitchen, because it’s the room in the house that usually goes last. And by last I mean, it never gets done. But not this year! I've outlined below a few tips that have helped me in the past and I hope they will be helpful to you with any projects you have planned for the new year.
Plan in advance - this helps prevent procrastination and decisions at the last moment. If you wait to decide, you'll never decide.
Break up the project into bite-size pieces - shorter more manageable jobs will be less daunting. Also, completing steps builds momentum to continue and encourages you to stay the course.
Set a time limit - if you plan an hour, when you are facing the task you know that you only have an hour to get as much done as possible. This helps sustain focus and determination.
Listen to audiobooks or podcasts - getting caught up on books and podcasts is a great way to multitask. The time also seems to pass much more quickly.
Enlist help - ask a friend or child to help. Even if they don't actually "do" anything, it's great time for catching up and bonding.
Reward yourself - be sure to reward yourself at the end of larger tasks or definitely at the end of each month. This will keep you motivated through the year and also provides a sense of accomplishment.
I have many other goals that I want to accomplish this year, but I’ll spare you the details. I just wanted to give you a little peek into one of my targets and a couple of freebies to kick off your new year! Here’s wishing you peace and joy in the new year.
Comments