Open After Christmas

The first time Caleb invited me to "Plan my Year" with him I was skeptical.

A lot of times New Year planning sessions (which sound a lot like goals, which sound a lot like, yeah, resolutions) seem to start out grand with lots of gusto and then fade by January 15. And that sounded like a waste of my time.

I was also tired of failure. Year after year we were generally happy as we reflected on December 31, but we always seemed to find ourselves reacting to what was happening around our family and always (naively) a little shocked when another New Year's Day came around and we had a list of trips we didn't take (because we didn't talk about them), parties we didn't plan (because we didn't set aside the time) things we didn't save for (because we weren't on the same page), hobbies we didn't pursue (because we didn't communicate the desire) and generally a whole list of things that happened to our family (mostly good upon reflection) but all unplanned.

But, he suggested we treat "Plan our Year" as a date night. With wine.

Fine. I'll participate.

What I discovered was that "Planning your Year" shouldn't be lumped into goals and resolutions. Instead, it's setting up an intentional plan that tells your time how you want to spend it in the next year. And unlike other resources that I've seen, "Plan your Year" lays everything out in a neat and tidy workbook that serves as a complete roadmap to help you plan your year. Using exceptional prompts, you just have to fill in your workbook as you dream and discuss.

I'll spare you the nitty gritty details of the entire workbook (brief overview below), but working through "Plan Your Year" is something that I genuinely look forward to as December fades into January. It's the groundwork that Caleb and I lay together for ourselves and for our family. It allows us time to intentionally dream and visualize what we want in this next year. Without having this direction, we would continue to react to "life happening to us" instead of telling our calendars how we wanted to spend our time. It's the most optimistic way to mark one year passing into the next.

Here's a quick glance at what is in the 50 page workbook we use. Each section has prompts to get you thinking and dreaming. Year over year I am continually impressed!

Reflection: This section is full of thoughtful reflection prompts that help you remember all of the big and small things that should be celebrated from the past year.

Identify: This is the “dream big” part! The part where you name anything you would love to see happen this next year... and also things you (and your family) are going to say no to in the next year.

Focus: This is the section where the nitty gritty starts to come in: how are we going to pare down all of our dreams and decide which ones to focus on this year? This section is also helpful in setting time frames to make sure all of those dreams/goals you name are achievable. Also included: setting a 2023 focus statement for your family for the year.

Plan: In this section you fill in the big picture of each month (a monthly planner is provided) so that each month of your year has a general focus and a very broad-strokes plan for what you and your family want to accomplish.

And it should be worth noting: nothing is set in stone. Plans can change (hey there, 2020) This workbook is designed to get you and your spouse headed in the same direction this year. And if nothing else, it is actually truly enjoyable to talk through the reflection part.

Shawn Blanc wrote the "Plan Your Year" Workbook. You can purchase your own workbook here. Note: he only sells this workbook for 2 months out of the year and January 29, 2023 is the cutoff this season.

And here's a favorite wine to have with your "it's-a-date-night-not-a-meeting-with-wine."

A winning combo

One of the healthy habits that I started in December was drinking a little concoction of supplements each afternoon. I found that this combo helped give me better energy and focus and really reduced the amount of sugar cravings I have. It also allowed me to cut out my afternoon cup of coffee, and add in a ton more water. I've also stayed healthy when others in my family got sick. #winning

Here's a little bit more about why I picked each of these supplements. Spoiler alert: I'm not getting any younger.

Ningxia Red is a whole-body antioxidant supplement drink. It's the highest known protection against the dangerous superoxide free radicals and is clinically proven to significantly boost overall health; specifically with better sleep, more energy and less brain fog, and immune health. It also tastes amazing! Learn more here.

AminoWise AminoWise is my favorite supplement for recovery after workouts (think of this as a natural Gatorade). It helps reduce lactic acid, contains electrolytes and branched-chain amino acids that helps build and repair muscles. Learn more here.

Inner Beauty Collagen Collagen is THE protein of the body. It's the most abundant protein and is the crucial support piece for your hair, skin, nails, joints, muscles and gut lining. It also helps with melatonin levels (your natural sleep hormone!), antioxidant levels (so important for overall health and longevity), and a healthy liver. Learn more here.

Here's a list of my favorite wellness drink if you're looking to add in a healthy habit come January!

Snippet from my week

Wishing you and your family a most Merry Christmas!

To shepherds as they watched by night
Appeared a host of angels bright;
"Behold the tender babe, they said,
In yonder lowly manger laid.

At Bethlehem in David's town,
As Micah did of old make known.
It is the Christ, your Lord and King,
Who will to all salvation bring."

Oh then rejoice that through his Son
God is with sinners now at one;
Made like yourselves of flesh and blood
Your brother is the eternal God.

Thanks for reading! Do you use the week after Christmas to Plan your Year? Just hit reply if you'd like to respond. (When you hit reply, your message goes directly to my email. It’s a private conversation between just us.) I read all your messages and try to respond, but not always in a timely manner. Sorry! And if you enjoyed this email, you’d be doing me a favor by forwarding it to someone else who might like it.