Happy New Year!  Can you believe it is 2020?  A new year and a new decade all in one!  I told my girls on my birthday that I wondered what it would be like to have a birthday in the middle of the year because a new year and a new “life” year were all rolled into one for me!  They laughed and said they’d never thought about it!  All the things funny things you have time to sit and ponder when you take time to slow down.

As you probably remember, I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions but rather use this as a time to reset my priorities.  My theme for 2020 and this new decade is just that: Slow Down.

Fairisle Sweater / Skinny Jeans / 50/50 boots / Family Room details / Beauty Details

2019 was a year of big change for our family with our first daughter graduating and moving across the country to college, the middle in high school and youngest in middle school this year and all the fun and busy activity that this new stage brings and the illness and loss of my mother-in-law.  Last year, one of my priorities was to spend one on one time with each girl.  That wasn’t as easy as I had hoped with what the year brought to us.  It is definitely a major priority again this year.

Here are the things I’ll be focusing on for 2020.  Some are the same as last year, because I’m still working on them!  I’m intending for 75% of these priorities to help me slow down, be present with someone I love and not be so hurried…

SPIRITUAL

• Family Daily Devotional – I gave everyone a copy of Bob Goff’s Live in Grace, Walk in Love for Christmas.  I’ve been feeling very convicted about our whole family doing a devotional or Bible Study together especially since we don’t live under the same roof daily any longer.  We’ve all committed to doing this before we go to school or work each morning.  A time to slow down...
• Couples Bible Study – We also do a couples study on Sunday night and will be reading The Reason for God by Timothy Keller.  My husband read this book several years ago and was so impacted by it that he kept copies in his car to give to friends and people he had conversations about God with.  I’m really looking forward to reading it with him and our small group.  This is a great way to slow down and set the tone for our week.
• Take time to be still – It is easy to rush around and fill every moment.  I intend on taking time each day to be still.  I also plan to put New Morning Mercies in my car to read while I wait for afternoon carpool since I didn’t read it last year.  I usually make phone calls then but this is another opportunity to slow down…

PHYSICAL

• Prioritize My Health – As I get older and things have only gotten busier managing a family of 5, I’ve let my own care slip.  I feel great and don’t have any issues so I just forget.  No more!  Today, I’m scheduling all the appointments I need to for the year!  Another thing I am going to do for myself is exercise and eat “better.”
• Get Healthy – I started the Faster Way To Fat Loss prep week this week and am looking forward to learning more about good carbs and fats.  I eat very clean with no many sweets and the occasional cocktail or wine, but I cut out carbs for the most part a long time ago.  I’ve been one that has always been able eat mostly what I want and be fine but I feel like something is missing.  I’m hoping that joining my friend Desiree in doing FWTFL teaches me a bit more about what my body really needs!  If you’ve done this, I’d love your tips and recipes!
• Drink More Water – In addition to drinking this collagen drink that I love, I am trying to drink as much water as possible.  At least 64 oz.  I do notice that my skin looks much better and who doesn’t want that easy fix!

EMOTIONAL/SOCIAL

• Schedule individual time with each of my girls – It is too easy to go about the tasks of “mothering” and not enjoy time just being together listening to their thoughts and what’s on their hearts.  We did a lot of this in Telluride.  I do talk to my college daughter a lot on the phone and hope to make another solo trip to visit her this spring.  I also want to do overnights and regular dates with my younger daughters.  I used to do this a week or two before school started when they were younger and can’t wait to do it again!  Slowing down to be present with them as I know time is short…
• Lunch with Friends – I do this several time a week and will continue.  It’s my favorite thing!  It gets me out of the house and keeps me connected with my friends who are truly like family.  It provides a slow time in my day to sit and be present.
• Weekly Date Night – We were pretty good about this in 2019 and will continue.  We need to synch our hearts and our calendars on a regular basis!  Time to slow down and focus on our relationship…
• Quarterly Travel with Hubby – We did some great trips last year to Cabo and South Africa but need to get a few more on the books.  We worked on this a bit yesterday and can’t wait to share what we plan!  Another time to be slow…
• Family Travel – This past week in Telluride, we all truly unplugged and continued once we arrived home and it has been so nice!  I love being able to create theses special family memories.  We are also planning a few trips in 2020 as a family including at least one to Europe in the fall!  These create some of my favorite slow down moments…

PROFESSIONAL

• New Projects for AWL – 2019 was an exciting year with the rebrand to Alicia Wood Lifestyle and I have so many ideas for growth in 2020!  I’m really excited to develop several new projects to share with you.  Be on the lookout for some special partnerships, travel and AWL products!  I’m still in the research mode for a big project and will need your help.  Please be on the lookout for a questionnaire coming soon that I’d love your feedback on.
• Cook More and with Seasonal Ingredients and Develop More Recipes for the Blog – Carrying this one over from 2019! – I know may seem funny for someone who has almost 120 recipes on a website.  I did publish several more recipes in 2019 but want to do at least one per month in 2020.  This is actually some of my favorite content and cooking/baking is so therapeutic to me.  It forces me to slow down, taking a day or two to perfect the recipes.  My family enjoys being taste testers, too!  I may even revise a few that are really old with iPhone photos!
• Time Blocking for Work and Family Activities – We’ve been using Asana for AWL team project management and I LOVE it!  I now need to figure out a time blocking system so that I can focus on either AWL business or family business and not mix the two.  I’m hoping this will make me more efficient and less crazed!  I’d love any tips here!

Fairisle Sweater / Skinny Jeans / 50/50 boots / Family Room details / Beauty Details

I’d love to know what your New Year goals are and also what you’d like to see on AWL for 2020!  Do you want to see more Style posts on a certain topic?  The Favorites Under $150 are always favorites!  More Recipes? More Travel ideas, packing lists and itineraries? More Clean Beauty brands and products? I have several great Home Design projects planned I’ll begin to share soon!  Hint:  I’ve been doing this in my slow down, one-on-one time with my daughters.  Let me know in the comments section below (or you might have to click Comments at the top of the post) or drop me an email.  I love hearing from you!

Happy 2020!

xo

Alicia

Be sure to sign up for the Newsletter so you don’t miss the great posts coming soon and the questionnaire I need your input on!

Pin this image for future reference!