• Weekly Intention:  This is another unusual week for me.  (January is full of them apparently.) Monday is a national holiday here and I am flying to Zurich on Friday, so I have three working days this week. Monday is not a holiday in Zurich so I expect they will work and it might be a bit hectic doing five days’ worth of work in three. But I plan to make the most of each of these days. I intend to do art and play with my kids on Monday. I intend to work hard and finish up all the middle school work on the other three days. And then I intend to enjoy my flight to Zurich. I will be patient and present and do the best I can every day this week. And if all goes well, I am lucky enough to get to see my mom on Saturday!
• Choices I want to make:
• One: I will choose to work hard and eat well.
• Two:  I will choose to give Jake a lot of space. He worked so hard to take care of the family last week and he will be doing the same starting this weekend since I will be away. I’d like to make sure he uses this week to fill up his reserves.
• Three: I will choose to do the best I can and to let the rest go every day.
• I am looking forward to: Seeing my mom. Seeing some friends this week. Going to Zurich and getting a lot of work done.  I am looking forward to a quieter week after last week and before next week. This is a much-needed buffer where I get to sleep in my own bed. I am looking forward to working hard, resting a lot, and socializing a bit.
• This week’s challenges:  I’ve already mentioned a few but I am optimistic, especially since I did a bunch of work on Saturday and hope to do a bit more today so I can catch up to my todo list.
• Top Goals:
• Work: Get through my long-todo list and prepare for Zurich by setting up meetings.
• Personal: Eat well. See friends. Be present. Listen.
• Family: Be kind. Be present. Hug a lot. Lots of family time since I will be out of the country soon.
• I will focus on my core desires (kind, strong, true, generous, brave) by: 
• Exercising daily. Starting to use weights.
• Giving my time to friends. Filling my well.
• Resting when I need and making sure I get a good night of sleep since I know I will be jet lagged next week.
• Doing at least a few work items I’ve been putting off for a while.
• This week, I want to remember to: Figure out some of our long term plans. Plan for David’s birthday, winter and spring breaks, and the summer. These plans will help me feel a bit more organized and I always feel more grounded when I am organized. I also want to remember how lucky I am. I want to remember to pay attention to it.

Here’s to a wonderful week!

Living Intentionally is a year-long project for 2016. You can read more about my projects for 2016 here.

• Weekly Intention: My first instinct was to say that I just want to survive this week. I find that the first week back after a few weeks off is always hard so I wanted to let myself off the hook. But I don’t want to think like this. I want to enjoy every one of my days. I am so lucky to get them. I am lucky for my warm, lovely house. My beautiful kids. My kind, generous husband who loves me more than I can dream. I am lucky for my sister, my parents, my nephews, my friends. My job. I have so much already in my life and I want to wake up remembering that and go through my day smiling for the miracle that’s my life. I know it sounds cheesy but it’s also true. So my intention for this week is to make each day count. Not by getting the most done but by being really present to the miracle of it.
• Choices I want to make:
• One: I want to choose to do the better option. Eat better, exercise better. It doesn’t have to be the best. Just better.
• Two: I want to choose kindness and patience with myself and my loved ones this week as we ease back into a new routine.
• Three: I want to choose rest as I add some extra doses of movement into my week. Make sure to rest and repair.
• I am looking forward to: Having the day off tomorrow. I am looking forward to a bit of alone time, a bit of Jake-time and to welcoming the kids from school as they ease back into routine.
• This week’s challenges: The biggest challenge I anticipate is all the early mornings, the exercise I plan to add, and the nutrition changes. Jake has surgery this week and I am hoping that won’t be challenging. Let’s hope that my biggest challenge is indeed the one I chose myself and nothing unanticipated.
• Top Goals:
• Work: My biggest goal here is to clean out all the backlog of email and todo tasks so I can start fresh by end of week.
• Personal: To eat well, exercise, and do art daily. To be strong and brave with my choices.
• Family: To be kind and generous and spend time with them for both playing and teaching.
• I will focus on my core desires (kind, strong, true, generous, brave) by: 
• Doing what needs to get done (food, exercise, driving, work)
• Taking time out when I need to remember what matters
• Choosing to give and not resent
• Saying I love you
• Going to bed early
• This week, I want to remember to: Take it one moment at a time and consistently choosing the better thing. I also want to remember this is a marathon and not a sprint. I am in this for the long run.

Here’s to a wonderful first week of 2016!

Living Intentionally is a year-long project for 2016. You can read more about my projects for 2016 here.