Can I be really honest with you?
I am terrible at planning for the new year. Every holiday season, I get past (or crawl or stumble past) Christmas and realize that I haven’t done anything to forward plan or even really think about what the next year could be like. I find myself realizing during the holiday week between Christmas and New Year that I’m blindsided (yet again).
And I’ll also be really honest, creating resolutions or intention setting doesn’t seem like a whole lot of fun during a week when I just want to crash, clean-up from Christmas, and relax a little.
Maybe you feel that way, too. Or maybe you’re organized and chomping at the bit for the next year, with all of your goals just ready to be released into the future. A complicating factor no matter how you approach New Year’s?
Military life.
Military life always has a way of changing our plans and forcing us to figure out how to be more resilient and flexible, even during years when we think we have it all figured out.
I’ve collected some of my most important and helpful pieces about starting out the new year right and have put it here, all in one place so that you can find exactly what you need when you need it.
Steer clear
Ready to next-level your year and your military journey? Make a list of the things that you are not doing this year. Yep, you heard me. Resolutions are great, but I want you to take stock of the negative things that you might not even know you’re doing that are draining your energy and undercutting your worth (or someone else’s). Read about these five things that military spouses aren’t doing in the new year.
Create an intention for this year
Military life can pack a wallop when it wants to. Before 2021 really gets off to a racing start, spend a bit of time choosing something that you’ll do to specifically make your military life better. I’ve got five ways to do that for you.
Make a resoultion
Maybe you’re a resolution kind of person. (Or maybe this is your first time!) I’ve found that specific resolutions are the best for me– they give me an opportunity to really hone in on a goal and make progress towards it. If I make a resolution that’s super broad, I usually end up disappointed because I haven’t outlined how I’m going to make it happen. Use these powerful military-specific resolution guides to get your next year off to a focused start!
Write a deployment bucket list
If you’re dealing with a deployment, you probably know that I absolutely love deployment bucket lists as a way to create adventure and count down (or count up, depending on your preference) to homecoming in a way that is healthy, exciting, and nourishing for you– the person who is on the home front. If you’ve never created a bucket list for deployment before, these posts will get you started:
- Here’s Why Milspouses Need a Deployment Bucket List
- How to Write a Deployment Bucket List That Doesn’t Suck
- 128 Goals to Put on Your Deployment Bucket List
Then grab these 46 bucket list ideas for the new year and get started planning out an adventurous future.
Choose a power word
Choosing a word to guide you into the new year has become a popular way to prepare for the year ahead. If this is a practice that resonates with you, I have 83 power words specifically for military spouses and the military lifestyle that can help you focus in on what you want the future to be like.
Get inspired
From some of the best, biggest thinkers, I’ve collected 53 quotes that are perfect for military spouses embarking on a new year. Save the ones that speak to you. Write them in a notebook, or on sticky notes, or keep them as your phone’s background. Just use them to get jazzed about what the new year has to offer you on your military life journey.
