I’d like to thank my previous self for the resolution mindset of “Life’s tough. Get a helmet.”, because there is some bad juju going on, on every level. I also got Norovirus over the weekend, so that’s fun and games.

Here’s my quick Resolution recap for the month of January.

1. From now until the end of August, it’s pretty much my countdown to 40. The biggest happening, especially in the spirit of change, is that yesterday I signed up to get my Project Manager Certification. It’ll be a 3-week course through UGA Continuing Ed, and later this year I will sit for the PMP certification exam. I’m definitely nervous but onto new things. This year, I’ve been lucky enough to work some amazing people who really value women supporting and encouraging each other professionally.
   
   
2. From a Financial Wellness lens, the continuing education tuition is tax-deductible and should have a good return on investment. Elsewhere on the financial front, I’ve been able to plan so far as June, rearranging travel-planning and budgeting the just-in-case fund. I find myself using the lens of “Are we being responsible? Is this too much? Can this wait for now?”.
   
   
3. Now that the extreme cold seems to have passed, I was able to start taking walks again while the girls are in art class. I also use this time to listen to my audiobook and do my daily Duolingo. My new planner only has six rows for Habit Tracking, so that is where I’ve been mixing my Hard and Soft habits. I’ve only had one month to trial and error and some habits definitely need more reinforcement than others.
   
   
4. The fifth #101in1001 is done and up on IG. It starts February 1^st, reinforcing that this the longest month ever….
   

Engineer

Close the gap between what you have and what you want. – James Clear

I think as parents (primarily moms), our biggest goal is to have a day without hiccups. We have so many schedules to juggle and routines to keep on track. We stick to our “machine” and we run it until the wheels fall off. We’re like train engineers, not building engineers. So at the end of the day, another project or obligation or big change can be super unwelcome, even if it’s intention is to make things easier in the long run. I think this might be one of the biggest reasons we stay in our comfort zones, only making surface tweaks instead of restructuring or looking ahead.

Personally, I feel better knowing that there is a Plan B and Plan C if things don’t turn out or the circumstances change. I think we’ve seen in the past month that we are all on some sort of thin ice; be it wildfires, freezing government spending, or an inflated economy. All of which have very real consequences for our families.

I’m hoping this doesn’t come across as a faux aspirational, women-can-architect-their-lives regurgitation. Women play so many different roles day-to-day and how we puzzle-piece them together matters; for our mental health, self-esteem, productivity and otherwise. Whether it’s a for a Resolution, a milestone birthday, or you feel like you might have a mini-crash out, take a minute to reassess what’s working and what isn’t.

I don’t think that everyone needs to completely rebuild or run out and get a new job. I think even a conversation with your family about the long term can change the tone and energy of your home, and your outlook moving forward.