The Journey Ahead
By Guest Blogger Hannah Tollison
I wanted to share four snippets to help prepare us for success, and get us on the right foot as we dive into 2024!
1. Start the decluttering process now.
You don’t have to wait until Spring Cleaning. My kids know that I am notorious for going through their things-my things-my husband’s things-my dog’s things (anything I have access to) and clearing and organizing. I am an organizer by nature. For those in my family different than me, it poses some risks (and annoyance).
2. Five minutes can go a long way.
You really can get so much done in five minutes: sweep up the crumbs under the table after dinner, vacuum the front rug, go through mail, using the bathroom while under pressure (IYKYK). I have four kids aged eight and under. Again, I’ve learned to move quickly, even at the expense of the rest of my family.
3. I’ve noticed a lot lately when someone else’s spirit carries pure joy or, on the flip side, some added stress.
That can be family, friends, or strangers you pass along the way. I’m not saying those people are bad, but I’ve just noticed I need to be a bit careful and a lot more proactive with how much time I spend with people, and how far of a leash I let them have in my life. Then, I strive, after realizing our spirits can affect others, to live in such a way that promotes positive mental clarify and health, which leads me to my last point.
4. In the words of my brother: “ride the wave.” I prefer, “smell the roses.”
I know this one might seem contradictory to how I’ve painted myself in this post thus far, but it’s really ok to sometimes not be so proactive. My upbringing almost sometimes requires that I stay 110% busy, but, four kids later, I’m only fighting myself. Sometimes life doesn’t have to look so fancy and full. It can be just sitting with my one year old pretending I swallowed his paci when he puts it in my mouth, waiting a few seconds, then opening my mouth for him to see that, “there it is!” and making it such. a. big. deal to get his little semi teethed, semi gummy smile/laugh.
So, I raise a glass to you all knowing we empower each other, and that we can do this! We can declutter (if we want). We can be good managers of time with the little time we do get. We can say no to the negativity no matter the cost (if we want). We can do all this to promote the most healthy and balanced mindset moving forward in 2024.
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