Once again, it’s time to ring in a new year and reflect on the year that’s past. This is a wonderful time to reflect with your spouse and set New Year’s resolutions for the coming year.
Let’s look at a few ways you and your spouse can greet the new year, set goals together, and set yourselves up for success in the coming months.
Conduct a Year-in-Review
At the end of the year (or the beginning of the new year), take a little time to sit together and talk about the things you’ve experienced together over the past 12 months. You could:
- Look at photos and watch videos together to relive special memories
- Share your favorite parts of the year with one another
- Reflect on the goals you set a year ago, which ones you met, and which ones you didn’t
Don’t be afraid to talk about the parts of the year that were hard. Some of our greatest lessons come as a result of difficult times. And, despite difficult times, you can take what you learn into the new year with you.
List Your Goals for the New Year
Now is a fantastic time to set new goals and intentions for the coming year together. It’s important to consider your goals as individuals, goals as a couple, and goals as a family as you begin making plans.
We suggest each making a list of your goals for yourselves in the new year, and your ideas for couple and family goals. Then, sit down together and see how those lists align. It’s important to get on the same page as soon as possible regarding your goals so you can work together to help one another achieve them.
Decide Together Which Goals You’ll Pursue
Once you’ve compiled and begun to discuss your goal ideas, you’ll want to land on which ones you’re going to pursue, both individually and together. Prioritize your goals and be willing to work with one another to make adjustments as you move into the new year.
Remember, you have twelve new months in which you can pursue these new goals. Pace yourselves to tackle the coming months as a team, and enjoy the journey along the way.
Set Milestones
It’s easy to dream, but sticking with goals and New Year’s resolutions is the hardest part of starting a new year. Set up accountability for how you’re going to reach those goals, individually and together.
Decide how you want to check in with one another over the coming months regarding individual goals. You can also set up milestones on your calendar to help you mark your progress.
Cheer Each Other On
Making changes at the beginning of a new year can be both challenging and invigorating. One of the most valuable things you can do for one another is to cheer each other on along the way.
Be your spouse’s biggest fan. At the end of the day–whether or not you keep all your resolutions and crush all your goals–the thing that matters most is being on the journey together, and supporting one another all year long.
Do you and your spouse set New Year’s resolutions together? Tell us all about it in the comments!
