Trial’s over. New Year’s Restart Feb 1st.

Update: 2018

As I throw a backward glance at some of my blog posts, I realized this one remains timeless. I’m all in on a New Year’s restart….starting February 1. Here’s why . . . .

…………

One of the greatest unsung features of the internet is access to an unending supply of feel good, sometimes life-changing quotes at the ready. My daughter, at 15, doesn’t know any different. That never a day goes by where you don’t see some image or meme of something somewhat interesting that makes you stop and say ah-ha is pretty incredible.

Back in the day we might stumble upon an inspirational poster or card here and there, but for the most part, books were our only access to those little gems.

Annika sent me this meme the other day that immediately gave me that rosy ah-ha twinge:

“Decided my 2016 starts again on February 1st. This was a trial month.”

I have been running around all month “starting” my new year amidst persistent distractions and a couple mind-bending epiphanies that have completely derailed my new year plan. My “New Year Me,” haphazardly sketched out before deadline on December 31, barely had a start before I redesigned it. Then redesigned it again.

I don’t know about you, but my life is a disheveled mess between Christmas and New Year’s so it’s certainly not the place of calm needed for the re-invention of Me in this epic Start Over Season.

Starting the new year on February 1 sounds like a really good idea to me. Suddenly, I feel the weight of the world off my shoulders.

I wish I would’ve thought of this years ago.

What have I been thinking all these years? I put in all my personal demands for myself on January 1st, immediately following the Christmas / Holiday season, the most magically bi-polar time of the year for mothers. Gals, you know we bring on the madness of the season ourselves. It’s just too good not to want to embrace it all, right? And all at once. We want all those magical Hallmark / Pinterest moments in our own backyards. No matter how much fur flies amongst our peeps that we reside. We are the tradition makers, right?

So when I saw this meme it hit me that I’ve been doing “New Year’s” wrong all these years. Every year, by the time the buzz of Christmas dies down, I’m eager to pack away any hint of this most blessed season into the basement closet. Down with the tree, off with the ornaments, close up the boxes. Cram, stash and dash.

My mood quickly shifts to Start Over.

My mistake is that I’ve been boxing myself into a calendar that gives me very few days to right my course from a crazy month filled with all sorts of yummy, on top of an already busy life. The thing about December that I know I always forget is that all the normal stuff of life still goes on. Doctor’s appointments, work deadlines, school deadlines, not to mention normal random, like cars and appliances breaking down. Capturing those buzzy Hallmark moments takes its toll on our households. It’s all for the good, but really, let’s be real. The holidays set everything back.

The Reboot Season kicks in entirely too soon. I like to use this time of year to design my dreams and chart my course. Dream making is serious business. And setting goals is one scary art that can’t be taken lightly. Think of all the self-sabotaging you’ll give yourself when you don’t follow through on your lofty plans? [click to tweet]

Yep. That would be me.

The old me.

Until I saw that meme.

How about we take back this Start Over Season and reschedule it to a more reasonable time? A time that doesn’t make us feel like we’re breathlessly chasing a runaway bus. A time that gives us the space to absorb the fun of the holidays without all the heavy commitments we resolve to do…immediately…before we’ve even had a chance to put away our Christmas presents, take down our trees, or even eat that last batch of cookies.

Let’s make January our month to rebound and absorb. Let’s catch up for the Lost Month of December and get clear on what it is we really want so we can design what we are willing to follow through with. Let’s start fresh with our New Plans on February 1st.

I’m all in. Are you?

Cheers!

Make sure to download my FREE Keep It Simple Planner. I think you’ll love it! After years of struggling with typical planners, I’ve always gravitated back to my notebook of to do lists. The problem was that I had so many different projects and goals, my lists were freaking me out. Too much. Too disorganized. Let’s just go for a bike ride . . .  So, I created this simple printout that helps me focus on my project-oriented to dos.  I’ve been using this system for a couple years now and it’s evolved to just what I need to reel in my monkey mind, and keep me on task with a dizzying array of projects and goals.

And guess what?! Even my husband asked for it, and even more signifiant, weeks later, he’s STILL using it, so I know he wasn’t just sucking up. . . .

Click here to download my FREE Keep It Simple Planner. Let me know what you think of it!