How I am setting myself up for success in 2022
As I started planning for 2022, I knew that I needed to do things differently to thrive and accomplish my goals. As a planner, I need a structured approach to this challenge. I believe that to succeed, we need to put systems in place to do things differently and not just let them happen by chance.
In this blog post, we will explore the process of identifying what you need to do differently, and I will share three things I plan to do to set myself up for success this year.
How to discover the changes you need to make to accomplish your goals
It is essential to think through what you want to do differently as you start the year. Sharing some of the questions you can ask yourself to analyze what you need to put in place to thrive:
In what areas of your life are you struggling the most?
What can you do differently in those areas?
What kind of support would you need to make changes?
Who is in your community can support you, or do you need new people?
How will you use the new time or resources that you free up?
MC's Journey
This is one of my posts where I share something that I am working on in real-time. Although I do not have it all figured out, I would like to share my process with you and hopefully some of the fantastic results down the line.
#1: Getting additional support
One of the areas where I realized that I needed help was childcare. Over the past fifteen months, my husband and I have taken care of our son while we were both working full-time jobs. We are very fortunate to have made it work as I primarily worked from home. Our son has also integrated himself perfectly into our lifestyle, and we are a great team. However, as he grows older and wants to explore more, we want to give him the opportunity to keep learning and have some more dedicated care while I get work done.
What is my plan?
We just found part-time care for our son. Very early, we knew that when we were ready as a family, we would want to have someone to help out for a few hours in our home. Being a babysitter for many years, even through college, I expected the process to be more straightforward for me. I pushed it out of my mind for as long as I could, and then one night, I decided to face my fears and start the search for a nanny. As I write this, I am very aware of the privilege to have the option available to us. We are willing to make this huge investment to ensure that I do not burn out trying to do too many things at once.
I am learning a lot through this process. The biggest lesson is that I need to trust the person and the process. Like others entrusted their children into my care when I was a babysitter, I have to do the same thing now. So far, the transition has been smooth, and our son, who has not been exposed to people due to the pandemic, is adapting very well.
#2: Setting Boundaries around my time
Like many people around the world who have the privilege of working from home, I find myself working very long hours. My workdays consist of caring for our son while running meetings, events or getting project work done. I feel that the times I pause work to feed or care for him needs to be made up for after he goes to bed. However, the truth is that I end up working much longer than I did on regular workdays without a child. I pack my workdays so full and always feel like there is still much more to do. There is a term for what I have been doing; it is overworking.
Over the holidays, I reflected and realized that I worked for 10 - 14 hours a day. This is subtracting the time that I spent caring for my son. And that has led to me not getting as much rest as I need.
What is my plan?
I will be limiting the time that I spend working every day. It will be hard to walk away from work that I think needs to get done. I will also be eliminating the constant sense of urgency by prioritizing my tasks and setting realistic timelines.
#3: Starting new routines
There are things that I want to start and others that I want to stop doing. Knowing myself, the best way to do this would be to develop some new routines. I am a creature of habit, and things are more manageable if I do them in the same way regularly. Although I need to make relatively minor changes, I want them to stick. One of the ways that I am thinking about my new routines is that I need to create space for things that make me feel more efficient, energized, and inspired. The great news is that I have the resources I need to start my new habits, and what I need to do is start.
What is my plan?
I have started new habits and routines that are good for me. I want to start a few habits, including reading, going outdoors, and resting more. I need to create the time to do the things that help my mental and physical well-being.
Final Thoughts
This year started very busy, and I already have to remind myself of what I committed to doing differently. Writing them down has been an excellent way to keep them top of mind. I am excited to see where this journey takes me and look forward to sharing some of my learnings with you.
Time to Reflect
What are three things that you want to do differently this year?
How will you make sure you take care of yourself this year?
How will you celebrate your progress this year?