Happy new month!

My resolution this month is to pay extra attention to my children’s enrichment. They all resume school this month, so it’s a great time to reset and check all my priorities around their mental, physical, and emotional development. Time to align my schedule to their activities, look for new things they might need, and find new opportunities to give them space and freedom to grow.

They’re marvelous kids, and my priority every day of the year – but it never hurts to pay a little extra attention and check in with yourself as a parent.

May all the things you prioritize be fruitful!

Happy New Month!

This month is all about work. I have several important work functions this month, and there’s a lot to achieve in terms of career. I intend to maximize both my learning and my benefit; I’m looking to both improve my skills and adorn my own “brag book.” My family is being wonderfully supportive and encouraging of this goal – how could I not succeed with such an amazing crew behind me?

Wish me luck, as always – and may your own endeavors be worth bragging about!

Happy New Month!

My resolution for July tends to be consistent: find ways to shed some shackles. Anything restricting my freedom should be examined. Are past obligations still worth it for what I’m getting? Have I bogged myself down with undue debts? The greatest threat to my own freedom is often myself, and so I spend the month thinking critically about what I let that guy get away with.

As always, wish me luck – and be more free!

Happy New Month!

I’ve been working hard lately, and my summer work schedule is actually looking pretty intense this year. So my resolution for May is to enjoy the fruits of my labors! This is going to be a fun month; multiple loved ones have birthdays, there are a few social events I’m looking forward to, and I’d like to take at least one day-trip or weekend getaway with my family. If we don’t carve out time to have fun, it can escape you – so may your May be merry!

Happy new month, and Happy St. Chalie’s Day to you all!

In remembrance of my departed best friend, February 1st each year is a day reserved for forgiveness. Release your grudges, apologize even if you don’t think you have to, mend fences and bury hatchets. Raise a glass, and turn an enemy into a friend. Reconnect with old acquaintances, make phone calls you’ve been putting off, send a nice text.

Tell someone you love them. How many more chances will you get?

Happy new month! And year!

Years are made of months, which are in turn made of days, made of hours, made of moments. You can plan all you like, but how you act in each moment is the best real control you have. Let yourself be guided by principles and values, and the long term will build from the short term.

This month, that’s my resolution. To guide myself in each moment based on the principles I hold dear. I will say yes to adventures, I will help when the opportunity to help arises, and I will seek out both. I will value my time with my loved ones, and I will create space for it. I will make sound decisions about my mind, body, and spirit. I will share, and play nice, and forgive.

Wish me luck, and remind me if I stray. I value you, as well.

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!