Happy new month!

As we close out the year, my resolution is what it often is in December: Ensure my children have a magical holiday season, spend as much time with them as possible, and button up any loose ends in my life. I like to get my house in order, plan finances for the coming year, schedule any major trips or projects, and do at least one large cleaning purge. The weather around here means I spend a fair amount of time indoors during December, and I like to have a cozy nest.

May your nest be cozy, safe, and full of people you love this month.

Happy new month!

Some of my plans have changed, and a strategic pivot is in order. My resolution for this month is to do that intelligently. That means not rushing into a new plan just because the old one no longer applies. It means being smart about resources – time, money, effort. It means evaluating what I wanted in the first place and figuring out how best to proceed.

It’s a hunker month, and I’m okay with it. May all your resources be well-spent!

Happy New Month!

Fall is well and truly upon us, and this month, I want to embrace it. I want to do fall stuff! That includes some outdoorsy times like potentially a camping trip, definitely a few roasted marshmallows in the back yard, and maybe even some upgraded landscaping. Plus plenty of cups of tea in the brisk air of the front porch. Maybe even a pumpkin patch or two.

May your fall be delightful, my friend!

Happy New Month!

Often my resolutions are forward-facing: I want to improve something or accomplish something new. Sometimes I want to try new things or run experiments. But this month, it’s a different theme – I want to fix something.

For years, I’ve valued “low stress” as a lifestyle virtue. I’ve crafted my life in such a way as to prevent stress in most cases; I’d rather be relaxed and have less of something than trade too much stress for a little more. Zero stress is impossible, but low is very nice.

While I still believe in that virtue, I realize now that it’s somewhat weakened my ability to deal with a lot of stress when it comes. I can handle a crisis very well, but I’m not often present for my personal relationships in a way that I like while I’m doing so. My “crisis mode” is effective, but doesn’t tend to leave a lot of room for kindness and support.

So that’s what I want to fix. I want to embrace my stress differently this month. I want to share it with the people who have offered to help, I want to make sure I’m still taking the time to show love to important people in my life, and I want to take care of myself a little better while doing so.

May your life be, if not low-stress, at least well-supported!

Happy new month!

It’s important to remember that you can’t do everything. I have about six goals I want to be working on right now, but if I’m being honest, one is far more pressing and important than the rest right now. So my resolution this month is to stay focused. It’s fine to put other goals in “maintenance mode” for a month; I won’t backslide on them, but it’s fine to tread water in order to advance something more urgent and vital.

May your focus be sharp, my friends!

Happy New Month!

Spring is well and truly here, and I’m loving the very specific side effect of socialization. A whole neighborhood of kids is in my yard every day, and even I’m getting out and doing more things after a long and rainy season. I’m putting my focus and attention on these relationships. My resolution is to revitalize a few I haven’t invested in as much and strengthen the ones dearest to me.

May all your days be filled with the exact number of people you want!

Happy New Month!

My resolution this month is simple, but difficult – I want to “go wide.” I’ve been down “in the weeds” on a lot of projects, both personal and professional, for a while now and I want to come up for air. So this is a month for strategy over tactics, looking at the big picture, and getting some distance from the individual elements.

May your vision, whatever you set it on, be clear!

Happy New Month!

It’s a month of new beginnings. New projects are taking off, my family is having new adventures, and my friends are doing new things with their lives. Some of these things are good and some are challenging. But my resolution is to face all of them with the same attitude.

This is life, all of it. I vow to live it to the best of my ability.

May you do the same, my friends!

Happy New Month!

This month, my resolution is to honor the old ways. I have a lot of deep traditions in my family, and I want to really spend some time with them this month. I want to look more into the family history and talk about the family future. This month is one of my clan’s biggest gatherings of the year and it’s a great opportunity to respect where we came from and build the path for the children and grandchildren that will come after.

Plus, it’s a great party.

May all your traditions be either great or discarded!

Happy new month!

This is a month of fun. School lets out, schedules change, people become available in their communities in different ways. I want to enjoy it, and I want to focus heavily on those friendships. My resolution this month is to carve out more time to spend with dear friends who I don’t see often enough. It’s too easy to let that stuff slip by amid all the responsibilities and chores. In the great accounting, it’s one of the few things that really matters.

May you see those you care about, and may you care about those you see!