Hello!
It doesn’t really make sense to have a newsletter about transitions and NOT share something around the new year, right? For those of you who have been around all year, this isn’t a scheduled letter, but a bonus and a way for me to say thank you for sticking around all year.
I’m writing to you from Bozeman where the temperature has hovered in the single digits all week but the sun has made the snow sparkle each morning to make up for the bitterly cold air. We’ve had a few great ski days with our kids and some good family time, too. And, as I mentioned in my last letter, we celebrated my favorite day of the year: Yearly Planning Day.
This all started around ten years ago when Brett and I went out for coffee one morning between Christmas and New Years and shared our goals with each other. Because I’m me, I wrote them all down and said we should make it a tradition. The next year we (read: Brett) decided we should also look at our budget and giving so we added that to our planning day. Over the years, we’ve added sections for travel, relationships, parenting, and house projects. We’ve taken things out that no longer work and added things that make sense for us each year. A couple years ago we started asking a bunch of reflection questions at the start and end of the day. About five years ago we realized that by June we had forgotten about a lot of what we talked about in December. So we added a quarterly planning morning in March, June, and September to check in. Those have also become helpful as we work through the document because instead of talking about everything in January, we just bank some things for later seasons.
All that to say, we’ve made this document work for us. We’ve shared various versions with friends who have asked over the years but I’ve been hesitant to share it with more people. Here’s why: This is not a rule book. It’s not a one-size-fits-all thing. There are a million different year end planning options out there if you look for them. We made one that works for us, and I only wanted to share it if it was in a form that was tweakable so you could make it work for you too. I think I’ve done that. (Although, it’s not in a pretty PDF because I wanted it to be as editable as possible for you.)
When you open this Google document you will see that it is in a View Only format that you can’t edit. Don’t keep it this way! Go to File and make a copy so you can make it your own. I’ve made a bunch of notes to share how we’ve used it, but nothing is set in stone. Change what doesn’t work for you. Delete entire categories if you want. Rename headings, reword questions, add categories that fit your life.
We tend to go through the whole thing on a day at the end of December because we’re in our hometown where our kids have grandparents who want oodles of time with them. But you could break it up or do it all the first week of January or at the beginning of a different transition season (birthday, anniversary, school year, etc.) if you’d like. If you do a whole day, I would recommend changing locations a few times. It’s fun and it just breaks the day up a bit. This year we did the starting questions at a coffee shop over breakfast, then went to a different coffee shop for a second cup and did the finances section. When we were done there we went to lunch and saw we were at goals but wanted to get through some other sections first so we skipped goals and went through some more logistical sections instead. After lunch we went to a brewery and finished with goals, closing questions, and planning our quarter dates. Yes, we were the cool kids with my laptop open next to our beer flights. Each December we make a copy and start fresh.
I also wanted to note that Brett and I are both wired this way. We’re planners and organizers and goal oriented people by nature. Sometimes it’s great and sometimes we drive each other crazy.
If you’re married or in a serious relationship and your partner isn’t interested in doing this, maybe try just inviting them into one or two sections. If you’re single, you can absolutely do this on your own, or maybe invite a close friend or roommate to do it together.
Just remember, this is a living document. Nothing you write or discuss needs to be set in stone. You can always revisit to edit, update, and change your plans. We started doing this as a way to regroup and get on the same page a few times a year. Over time, I’ve realized that taking the time to go through all of these things a few times a year helps me practice stillness in the in between seasons, because I know we’ve already done a lot to make our year go more smoothly. Make it work for you. I am not precious about the categories or questions. This is just what is currently working for us, but we have added some things and taken others away every single year we’ve done this. My biggest hope for you is that you find it helpful. If it’s not helpful for you, then let it go. Find what works for you and your family. I’m always cheering you on.
Happy New Year!
Jodie
P.S. One of my goals last year was to start a seasonal newsletter. For those of you who have been around since the beginning, THANK YOU for your support! For those of you who just signed up yesterday to get this document, I hope you’ll stick around. Subscribing to this newsletter is one of the best ways to support me as a writer. Full transparency, I’d love to write a book someday, and right now the publishing industry is very focused on numbers (i.e. social media followers or newsletter subscribers). I have no interest in “growing my platform”, but I do love connecting with people through words. So if you ever like something I share here, please forward it to someone else who might like it so they have the option to subscribe. Sharing truly means a ton.
P.P.S. If you do a planning day, I’d love to hear how you change it up. Are there questions we should consider for next year? Categories you’ve found helpful? Just hit reply and let me know!
Love this. So impressed with you - as a couple - level of detail and commitment to your goals. Role models for sure. Kudos. Btw, Scott and Noah fly to Bozeman tomorrow and will spend a week skiing Big Sky before Noah returns to Univ of AZ. He completed his first freshman semester 😅. Happy New Year and I hope 2022 will be everything 2021 didn’t live up to. I look forward to reading your next essay. Write On. …. As in right on😃