Did you do it? Did you accomplish your goals? Are you the new you the old you wanted you to be December 2014? Is your family peaceful? Do you workout regularly? Did you teach your kids to cook? Do you have weekly family meetings? Do you pack 2 days before your trip instead of 2 minutes? Did you clean out the basement (closet, garage, attic, storage unit)? Did you save your money? Did you lose those 10 pounds? How is that photo project? Playroom purged? Old paint cans disposed of? Learn how to use that app that will change your life? How's the piano playing, guitar playing, writing habit, drawing every day? Did you get ready for the holidays in November? Me neither . . . sigh . . . .
But here's the thing folks, we DID do stuff this year. We DID! Here's a list of questions I'd like you to ponder. If you really want to see some changes next year, print this sucker out and WRITE down the answers. It changes things. Writing things down really DOES change things. We tend to be super duper mean to ourselves. We think if we shame ourselves hard enough we will change. Yo! How's that shame spiral treating you? Here's a new twist - wrapping this year up in a lovely way (not fake, not saccharine, not pretend), but in a neat, loving and appreciative way will change our interaction with next years goals.
QUESTIONS TO PONDER
What habit did you modify, change, start or stop that made your life better?
What habit will you modify, change, start or stop to make your life better in 2016?
What aspect of your parenting improved in 2015 - less anger episodes? More developmental understanding? Increased listening?
What aspect of your parenting do you hope to improve in 2016 - family meetings? special time?
Any underused parenting tools you want to add to your toolkit in 2016 (being grateful, having fun, menu planning, exercising, listening, using your pre-frontal cortex)?
Guys, we gotta take the best of 2015 and build on that. Do note things you would do differently in 2016, but please do not put on that hair shirt and zip it up tight. Pain can get you moving, but it doesn't keep you moving. (See Jet Fuel for a refresher).