Hi! I’m Sharlie and I love warm Mondays and New Years. (Are you catching the Frozen reference there? Sorry, mom of six here.) A couple of weeks ago, I was reflecting on 2020 and looking forward to 2021 (who isn’t?). And as I thought about 2020, I likened it a bit to a caterpillar. I ate a lot during the beginning of the year when I was close to the end of my pregnancy and then quarantine happened and then I wrapped myself up in my own little chrysalis. But as I look ahead to 2021, I’m calling it the year of the butterfly. I’m ready to shake off my chrysalis, spread my wings, and fly.

Flying doesn’t necessarily mean I’m going to flutter here, there, and everywhere. In my mind, it looks a lot like realigning my focus on things that matter. I’m going to let go of things that I thought were important, but really aren’t. I’m going to focus on things that matter. And I’m going to live a life of joy.

I’m inviting you along in this year of the butterfly too. My friend Cassie (@thehostessnextdoor over on Instagram) and I are hosting a year long initiative to live a life that is simpler, healthier, and focused on the important stuff. We have goals for each month that will gradually shift our focus and lives and I hope that by the end of 2021, we will be able to look back and see that despite any circumstances that may arise, we can feel better physically and mentally.

Let’s get started and look at January 2021’s goals!

No Spending.

Let’s break this one down a bit. We all just spent an entire month (maybe longer!) buying gifts and receiving gifts as we celebrated Christmas and/or Hanukah. If your house is anything like mine, you have to get rid of stuff just to make room for the new stuff. I think we might could all take a moment and just hit pause on unnecessary spending. My home and pocketbook would greatly appreciate it. But here’s the thing: we are all adults here and we all have different situations. Cassie’s family has lots of birthdays in January…including her own. Does that mean she shouldn’t treat herself to a fun purchase on her special day? Of course not! In fact, our family is going to the TN mountains in a couple of weeks and I hope to visit some antique stores there. If I find something amazing, I’m not leaving it behind! So, use your best judgment and be as strict with this as you want to be. I think the main thing to walk away from January is a goal to be intentional with our money and what we bring into our homes.

Drink More Water

I know some of you are ready to do a radical diet. I mean, it is January after all. And I applaud that! Go for it! But I have found that sometimes small changes can add up to be a big impact. We can all (radical diet or not) focus on drinking more water in January. This has SO many health benefits. I promise you will feel better, have more energy, have better skin if you drink more water. How much should you drink? Half of your body weight in ounces. If you weigh 140 pounds, you should drink 70 oz of water. Water in coffee or tea doesn’t count (sorry). I sometimes like to add a few drops of an essential oil to give my water a little flavor.

Create a Morning Routine

Get ready to set your alarm clocks! Yes, even the stay at home mom! You do get a pardon from this one if you have a newborn, but for the rest of us, let’s make a plan to get up before our kids or before we have to head out to work and create a quiet time for ourselves. I can not emphasize enough how much of an impact this makes on my day and my attitude. If you are a Christian, grab your Bible and get some good time with the Lord in. If you aren’t a Christian, you still need some time to just sit and enjoy a cup of coffee and just journal…get those thoughts out of your head. Or get yourself a hand lettering practice book. I have been using this handlettering book that goes through Psalms and I really love it!

Let’s Do This!

That’s our main three goals for January! We will build on these throughout 2021 and make this the year of the butterfly! I can’t wait to grow and get to know y’all. Cassie and I will be sharing our journeys mainly on our Instagram pages and our stories over there. You can find me here. And here’s Cassie’s page. If you don’t have Instagram, feel free to comment here on the blog to check in and share how things are going. I will have posts up throughout the month to share my own journey and tips. Please use those posts to share about your journey too and interact with other comments! Let’s create some community with this and make some new friends! On IG, use the hashtag #2021butterflychallenge and tag us so that we can share!

Thank you for joining us on this year of the butterfly challenge!

xo,

Sharlie