I don’t do New Years resolutions - I find them too generic and they rarely last, but birthday goals, those are different. It’s specific to you and you alone. Not only do I use these questions as a benchmark for where I’m at each year personally and professionally, but I find it fascinating to hear the answers of my family and friends. It’s a known fact that nobody in my vicinity gets out of answering these if you’ve had a recent birthday. Now that I find myself currently staring down the barrel of my mid-30’s, it seemed necessary to pass along this self-reflective tradition I’ve come to love so much. So next time you find yourself blowing out the candles, ask yourself the following questions to set your year off with intention.

1) What is something you’ve learned this last year?

Recalling a challenge that you overcame or a changed opinion allows you to to look back at your growth as a person. We are (hopefully) always learning, evolving, and remembering these lessons can help to see obstacles that come up throughout the year as opportunities.

I’m sure this is not unique to me since the pandemic has forced us to learn quite a bit about ourselves and what we’re capable of handling, but for me, I learned that my goals aren’t linear. They don’t have a timeline and life is lived in seasons. While I will probably always fight my ever-present impatience, I have learned it’s much more effective to view my current life stage as a pie chart. Knowing that the percentages will change and wane in various ways depending on what’s needed…and that balance, not accomplishment, has to be the main focus. I definitely haven’t mastered this yet so it’s a good thing I have the whole year (or lifetime) to work on it.

2) What was a favorite memory of this last year?

This question calls for looking back at the highlights of the previous year and no matter how good or bad, you’ll always be able to pull at least one awesome memory to celebrate.

For me personally, there was a particular uneventful weekend where me and the boys took our electric rad bikes (if you follow me on IG, you know we’re obsessed with these) on the trails in our neighborhood to dinner and just cruise around. I found myself looking at my kids and wanting to remember them this age, at that specific moment, laughing over pizza. While I’m sure many of us had more than our fair share of family time being in quarantine most of 2020, I know those little moments will be ones I long for someday.

3) What is a goal for next year?

This could be any goal, big or small. Whether it’s running a marathon or drinking more water, it’s helpful to pick something manageable and easy to remember throughout the year. Make it specific - for example, instead of attempting to simply save money, set the goal to save at least $25/$50/$100 a month. That way it’s sustainable and the little steps along the way will help you stay consistent.

My goal for next year is to continue to block out time for myself (and not feel guilty about it) because doing so has made me a far better wife, mom, and friend. I also set some smaller specific business goals to focus on.

4) What are you looking forward to in the upcoming year?

I remember an episode of Comedians in Cars getting Coffee where Julia Louis-Dreyfus mentioned her mom telling her to always have something to look forward to. I don’t know why that stuck with me specifically but I can definitely sense a difference when I have something to look forward to versus when life looks the same for the foreseeable future.

What am I looking forward to next year? TRIPS!! I fell in love with travel when I went to Italy for the first time in my early 20’s and have missed experiencing different places and cultures so much. We could all use a change of scenery and I can’t wait to plan little trips big and small with the family, friends, and even by myself!

I hope these questions bring a little fun and purpose to your next birthday…make sure to send me your answers on my socials. Cheers to another year!

Much love,

-SG