A Happy Blur

That’s what I’ve been sharing with people when asked “How have your holidays been?”

Awesome, amazing, enjoyable, memories everywhere - and what day/time is it again?

The reason it’s been a blur is because we now have a 1 yr old in the family! He is an absolute joy AND I now remember THOSE days. That saying keeps coming to mind, “the days are long and the years are short”.

Parents, you remember those days if you’re not still ‘in’ them, right? Learning to walk (WHOA does the world expand quickly!), bumps & bruises to go along with that part of the journey, sleepless nights, trying to be on a schedule until he changes the schedule, TEETHING, both parents working and navigating who takes care of what along with a 3rd person’s ever-changing needs, wants and growing world! Did I shower today and MORE coffee please.

Life starts to blur.

Even if you are not a parent life can ‘blur', right? - school, careers, relationships, finances, health concerns, taking care of relatives, and all that happens in life.

All of us can find ourselves getting caught up in responding to life happening rather than living intentionally.

For many years, we lived in reaction rather than intention (and not intentionally). We simply didn’t know how to go from reacting to intentionality.

How DO we do that?

It’s simpler than it seems.

1st - take one hour (make it fun - coffee house, date, dinner, etc.) and start the discussion with yourself, your spouse/significant other and other members of your family (age appropriate).

Ask these questions:

What lifestyle do I/we want to live this year and then into the next 3-5 years? What is important to me/us in how I/we live?

Write down everything that comes to mind. When we did this, flexibility, more presence with those closest to us, closer relationships, travel (one way our family connects in shared experiences), better health, were a few of the things that popped immediately to the top of the list.

These questions take us from ‘life is happening TO me/us’ to what do we want to create EVEN when life happens.

2nd - start looking at everything and compare to the 1st list by asking these next questions:

Does my career, financial situation, family life, all my commitments (community, church, groups), all aspects of how you live, currently match the lifestyle I will choose to have in 2026 & beyond?

If not, what is one step I choose to take, to move me towards this lifestyle?

When will I take this step and what does that look like?

3rd - commit to a specific date/time when you’ll take the step and share this with your coach, friend, another mentor or someone who will be as excited as you are and help hold you to your commitment.

A phenomenon then begins to happen as you take the 1st step: other areas of your life start becoming more intentional. We also begin asking if new commitments fall into the lifestyle we’re choosing, before we say ‘Yes’.

Simple, not always easy; it does take focus and commitment.

AND it’s worth every minute you spend creating that intentional lifestyle. Try it and share the results of what happens!

Cheers to a Happy New Year 2026, and living in a happy blur - intentionally.

Traci Evans