Cheers to 2023! I hope you’re feeling calm, hopeful, refreshed, and peaceful.

I realize this time of year can put a lot of pressure on us to set new goals, to know exactly what we want in the next 12 months, and to have it all ‘figured out‘, but that’s far from what I feel and I’m here to tell you that it’s okay if you’re just taking it day-by-day. Heck… I’m 7 months postpartum and I still feel like I’m barely coming up for air.

I haven’t had a full nights sleep since Colette was born, I’ve been wearing the same outfit every day * drool stains and all *, I don’t know if I’ve had enough water/nutrients in the last 7 months, and I’m simply surviving— but, at the same time, I’m excited for 2023. A new year gives us a benchmark, a fresh start, and a date to begin a new journey. While I haven’t journaled any resolutions yet or purchased a ’23 planner, I’m here and ready for this new chapter with all of you!

Also… special shoutout to my sister-in-law Katie for taking our holiday photos! These are our first family pics with Colette. We didn’t have time to print them and send them out, so here they are…

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE SCOTTS 🙂

At the start of a new year, there is this immense pressure to have our reflections from the past year processed and new goals and aspirations set… and ready to begin on January 1st.

But for most of us, the two weeks including Christmas and New Year’s are so busy that it’s nearly impossible to sit with ourselves and our goals. Brian and I had family travel into town, Isabelle was out of school * ready for activities at 6am *, and we were hosting, playing Santa, attending holiday events, traveling, and trying to make the holiday season as memorable and magical as possible for the whole family.

This all inspired me to share this post… a gentle perspective on Slow Resolutions. Let’s take the pressure off of having 365 days planned out before the Christmas decor is put away.

Let’s give ourselves a moment to decompress, process, and get into our 2023 groove.

Morning Routine Resolution

Morning routines are vital for a positive day. Studies show that if you start your day with a consistent routine, gratitude, and you set your intentions, you’ll be more prepared for everything that comes your way… and you’ll be happier!

For the next few weeks, let’s set these goals to fill our own cup first.

-Wake up 30 minutes earlier than usual. I know this is hard if you’re up all night with your kids like me or if you have to get out of the house super early. If you can… see if you can go to bed 30 minutes earlier to make this a reality.
-Prep your space the night before for a successful morning routine- Set aside your workout clothes before you go to bed so you’re ready to get dressed right away, visualize your workout, know what you’ll fuel yourself with, and maybe text a friend to keep each other accountable.
-Hold off on social media/email/and texts until you’ve filled your own cup. Remember, if you open your phone in bed before getting up, you’re welcoming everyone else into your home (and mind) before you’ve done something for you. You’re also consuming someone else’s day before you’ve had a chance to create yours.
-Do one thing that brings you joy and stick to it for 30 days! This could be journaling, listening to a podcast, taking a walk around the block, gentle yoga at home, or stretching. Do something that kicks off your day in a positive way.

Nutrition and Fitness Resolution

I’ve been taking the first half of January as more of a reset period. Instead of putting on the pressure to jump right back into a routine, I’m asking myself these questions:

–What foods fuel me and make me feel energized?
-What’s realistic each day with my schedule as a mom?
-What are my ultimate wellness goals? To feel healthy, accomplished, energized, and confident? What activities would be best to reach my goals? How about TIU?

Use your questions as a prompt to guide you! I like to set larger goals for the whole year and then smaller goals for just a month. Think about the smaller goals as how you’ll take action. Ex. ‘This year I want to get healthier than ever”. Then each month’s goal is “I want to work out 3x a week”.

If you’re a new mama, you’re not alone. A few of my goals for this year include: going to pelvic floor physical therapy to heal from a rough pregnancy and delivery, going for walks with the girls, and giving myself grace.

Career

I’d love to hear your career goals in the comments. Career/work goals are tricky, because I feel like I’m hearing from most women that we want more joy in our personal lives, to spend more quality time with friends/family/and even ourselves, we want to unplug more, and we want to feel less burned by hustle culture- and I’m there with you.

At the same time, we want something that feels really fulfilling AND rewarding that allows us to do more with our family and for our family. Financial freedom allows us to do more for our family and to give back. It’s definitely a balance, so I’d love to hear from you.

Here’s what I am aiming for.

–More fulfillment in my mission and purpose
-Better boundaries with my schedule (my daughters are #1)
-To tap into my creativity and bring my visions to life
-Learn from others and help others
-Connect with like-minded women

Personal Growth and Family Resolutions

These two are intertwined in so many ways. I find that many of my personal goals are growing for the love of my family.

–No Social Sundays or No Scrolling Sundays– anyone with us!? Brian and I are committed to ‘No Scrolling on Sundays’. If I upload something or do anything on social media, I’m going to close the app and be 100% present in the day. I truly believe this will not only help us create more memories on Sundays, but it will also give more precious attention to our family. It’s easy to pick up our phone and scroll what others are up to… but Sunday’s will officially be our day with each other and family.
-Shut down work as soon as Isabelle is home from school- this is tough, because some days she gets home early or she has sports/activities, but I’m going to make this a priority. I just need to be more efficient with my time earlier in the day.
-More date nights and quality time with Brian- wow, it’s been a minute! Between our IVF journey, pregnancy, and postpartum, we have lost touch with being a couple. We’re excited to connect and ‘date’ each other again.
-Less stress about things that are out of my control – this is huge. If you’re super sensitive or an empath like me, you not only feel every emotion about the world and the things you see on the news or social media, you also internalize it. In turn, it can paralyze your thoughts and prevent you from feeling joy in your own life. I get easily consumed by the heaviness and tragedy that happens every day in the world, so I need to work on finding a balance between doing what I can to help and making sure I’m still providing a positive environment and upbringing for my daughters.

I danced with Isabelle the other night and she looked at me and said, ‘Mommy, I like seeing you smile… because you were sad yesterday‘… and I realized I was sad about something I saw on the news and she felt that energy from me after dinner.

I just want to do better… I want to be better.

Also, something that has helped my perspective as a mom day-to-day is this quote:

“Pretend for a moment that you’re 70, but you get to travel back in time. You’re with your little kids again and you get to spend that moment or day with them”.

It really helps me set everything aside and know that I won’t get this time back. It allows me slow down and focus on what really matters.

Little Things

In 2023 let’s start to enjoy and romanticize our routines and little moments in our day. These moments and routines add up to your life, your memories, and your contentment.

–Sipping your morning coffee
-Rain on your windowsill
-Facetimes with your family
-A walk on a sunny day with a girlfriend
-Your trip to the grocery store or farmers market
-Cooking in the kitchen while listening to music
-Lighting your favorite candle

–Listening to your kids sing and laugh
-Sitting at your counter after you’ve cleaned the kitchen
-Folding laundry while catching up with a friend on the phone
-Laying on your living room floor with your family
-Watering your plants and herbs (I just found joy in this in 2022!)
-Making your bed (I need to find joy in this in 2023, LOL)
-Baking cookies and bringing extras to an elderly neighbor or someone who lives alone

What are your favorite little moments throughout your day? I’d love to hear from you 🙂

Happy New Year. I pray for your health, peace, and happiness!