APurposefulLife
FALL FOCUS
By Rosie Molinary
Goals Create Excitement
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Extra Credit: Don’t be afraid to get the whole family involved. Is there a joint family project you’d love to take on — making a family yearbook of photos and quotes, or holding a big yard sale? Put something for all of you on that list, too. Make a “to-experience” list. Many of us are wonders at getting things done, but what we really need most in our lives are some fun challenges or adventures. Now that you have written down some to-dos, shift your energy to fun experiences. Is this the year that you finally camp out as a family? Do you want pull out all the stops with Halloween decorations or have a family theme for costumes? Put some fun and growing experiences on your list. Nail down the details. The ideas aren’t usually the challenge; it’s the follow-through. So take some time with your list — and calendar — to figure out what you can logistically make happen. If something feels like it is hard to accomplish, that might be an indicator that you don’t really want to do it, which is perfectly OK. Schedule items on your calendar, and then sketch out ways to make it happen. Extra Credit: Make sure your family knows what is coming. Whether it is an at-a-glance wall calendar with everyone’s schedules displayed, or an online version like Cozi, keep everyone up-to-date on the details of what’s to come, and their roles in all the fun. Enjoy your fall!
Rosie Molinary is an author, speaker and educator who empowers others to be intentional. Learn more at Rosiemolinary.com.
www.TodaysCharlotteWomanMag.com | September 2013
he back-to-school routine is starting to flow, you are drying off from the wettest summer you can remember, and you are already anticipating the cooler mornings and nights that September and October promise us. If the drier days, cooler nights and the promise of routine for the whole family isn’t enough to make you excited about fall, sitting down to make some plans will help you reap the benefits of all that back-to-school energy. Read on for a four-step plan for putting some focus and fun into your fall: Go old school. Remember that feeling of promise that fresh school supplies, a new school year and a few new backto-school clothing items provided? Well, you can harness that feeling even now, and without a big shopping spree. By sitting down and setting some goals, you give yourself that same back-to-school excitement that you remember from years ago and see in your kids right now. Extra Credit: It is not just good for you to have something to look forward to or work on this fall. It’s also great for your kids to see that, even in adulthood, you set goals and get excited about things. It powerfully models to them that life is a journey and we should always be working toward growth. Make a to-do list. You have likely talked to your kids about what they are going to be doing this year — how they want their classes to turn out and what activities they might try. Now, it is time for you to do that for yourself. What would you like to have done by the end of this year? Maybe there is a closet whose clutter has been driving you crazy or a professional project that you have been working up the nerve to take on. Claim your fall musts by recording them.
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