Let’s talk about the Thanksgiving of intentionality and goal setting. Sounds weird, I know it was just Christmas, but stay with me!
Before we dive in, I hope you’re having a lovely holiday season. I hope you’ve had time to celebrate with those you love and to honor and remember those who may no longer be with us.
Also, this is Palmer 😊
As we approach the New Year, I know the thought of resolutions can feel overdone. HOLD ON! I know saying, “This year will be different,” has also been overdone. 😅 So let’s not even talk about some big, yearlong resolution.
We all know people who roll their eyes at New Year’s resolutions—that person might even be you. However, I think we should approach the New Year similarly to how we approach Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving is often a day to pause and reflect on the things we’re thankful for. If you’re part of a family like mine, your mom might even make everyone go around the table and share what they’re thankful for and why. 🙄
It’s not that we shouldn’t be thankful every day of the year, but Thanksgiving gives us a moment to zoom in and focus. And that’s awesome! Taking time to reflect on gratitude is one of the best things we can do. If Thanksgiving is the only day your family focuses on thankfulness, at least you have that day!
So, will you join me this year and think about New Year’s through a similar lens? Instead of committing to a year of massive changes (let’s be real, that’s just not realistic), let’s make New Year’s a day to reflect and set intentions since often times it’s may be the only day where everyone is prompted too!
There’s so much noise in the world – both internal and external – telling us who we should be. It pressures us to align with what others want, convinces us to settle for a subpar version of ourselves, and steers our emotions in unhelpful directions. Your kids feel this noise even more than you do.
They need you to set the example. Show them what it looks like to reflect on your life and take ownership of areas where you’ve let things slip. There’s no shame in this process. Yes, it can be uncomfortable to face the areas where we’ve settled, but there’s never a better time to take ownership than now.
Your kids will learn so much more by watching you do this work for yourself than by hearing you tell them to do it in their own lives.
Here’s my challenge for you: Reflect on the questions below and share your thoughts with your family. Invite them into the conversation. If they don’t want to engage, that’s okay. At a minimum, share what you’re working on and how you’re pursuing a better version of yourself. Your kids already know you’re not perfect – trust me. By having or modeling these conversations, you can redefine how your family approaches New Year’s, personal growth, and challenges together.
Reflection Questions
Who do I want to be, and what traits or values define that version of myself?
What am I currently doing that aligns with the person I want to become?
What habits, thoughts, or actions pull me away from becoming that person?
What is one specific, actionable step I could take today to move closer to my ideal self?
How will becoming this version of myself positively impact me and my relationship with my kids?
Have a wonderful New Year!
With lots of Love,
Kerry and Palmer
PS – The New Year is a perfect time to spark growth and help kids take ownership towards becoming their best selves – so if you want help with that, Noah (my partner coach) and I are here to help 🤗
