The start of a new year has always been a little overwhelming for me. I love the idea of a chance to start fresh, reset, and maybe (just maybe) get my life together, but sometime struggle with where to start. While I’m not big on massive, over-the-top resolutions (who has time for a complete life overhaul when we’re already juggling work, family, and that pile of laundry?), I do love the idea of making small, sustainable changes that actually fit into real life. This year, I’m focusing on little shifts that don’t require a ton of effort but can make a big difference over time. Here are the five small changes I’m making this year:
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1. Doing More Things I Love
When our schedules are so busy all the time, it’s easy for me to put my wants/needs on the back burner to focus on what everyone else needs. This year, I’m going to try to do a little more of what makes ME happy and worry just a little less about everyone else. That means trying a few new recipes, making time for happy hours with the girls, and treating myself every once in a while. To start, I’m going to focus on three things each month that are just for me and do my best to make it happen.
Just for fun, here’s a picture from a terrarium-building workshop that I went to with the boys last night. It was so much fun to tune everything out and just be creative with my kiddos for an evening. It reminded me that I need to be more intentional about slowing down and enjoying the little things I love.
2. Setting Smaller Goals
Instead of giant, overwhelming goals like “work out every day” (which inevitably leads to me giving up by mid-January), I’m focusing on smaller, more achievable goals that will hopefully become routines that I can stick to. For example, this month, my goal is to move my body for 10 minutes a day. Whether that’s a quick walk, a stretch session, or dancing around the kitchen while cooking dinner, it counts. Smaller goals feel more achievable and, honestly, more rewarding when I can check them off my list.
3. Decluttering in 10-Minute Bursts
The idea of going all Marie Kondo and decluttering my whole house in a couple of days is way too overwhelming to me. But taking ten minutes to clean out a drawer that has been collecting junk for months? I can handle that. This year, I’m setting a timer for 10 minutes every day to tackle small decluttering projects—a shelf, a corner of the closet, or that mysterious pile of stuff on the counter that seems to multiply overnight. It’s amazing how much you can get done in such a short time, and it’s way less overwhelming than an all-day purge. I have a reminder on my phone to tackle this task in the middle of the day when I’m usually looking for a quick break from work. One of the many benefits of working from home!
4. Taking Time to Reflect
One more thing I want to be more intentional about is taking time to reflect each day. I tend to get so caught up on the never-ending to-do list that I forget to stop and remember the most important things about the day. A friend recommended that I try a One Line a Day Journal and I’m super excited to use it this year. There are only a few lines for each day, so my plan is to write one thing I’m grateful for, one thing I learned that day, and one thing that happened in my life that I want to remember. Though the prompts may change, I think that this task will be way more manageable for me because it’s short and sweet. The best part is that the journal is designed to track your days over five years. I think it will be so much fun to go back and look at the progress year over year.
5. Quality Time with My Kids
My boys are getting older and don’t need me as much as they used to. It’s so easy for me to let them do their thing in the evenings so I can cross a few more things off of the to-do list. I realized over the holiday break how much that is causing me to miss out on quality time with them. This year, I’m going to do my best to stick to our routines of carving out a few minutes each day to do something fun together. I wrote a whole post on this last year if you’re interested in seeing how we like to spend that time.
Final Thoughts
These small, 10- minute changes might not sound earth-shattering, but that’s the point. The more realistic and doable they are, the more likely I’ll stick with them. If you’re also looking for small ways to feel more balanced, I encourage you to think about how you can break up your larger goals into smaller chunks that you can squeeze into your day.
What small changes are you making this year? Let me know in the comments—I’m always looking for ideas to steal (er, I mean, be inspired by)! Cheers to a fresh start and tiny wins that add up to something big!
