6 Ways to Start 2019 Off Right

This post is sponsored by H&R Block but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

It’s 2019 and I’m feeling so excited about the new year! I’m coming come up with six ways to make sure I’m starting 2019 off on the right foot….and you can too! Here’s what I’m doing this year:

1. Choose a word for 2019. I started doing this a few years ago and have found it to be such a fun exercise in defining how you want to live out the new year, summarized in just one word. This year my word is joy. 2018 was an emotional year for us. Someone important to me suffered a tragic loss and it made me realize that nothing matters more than spending time with my family. Finding joy in just being together. My husband and my kids are my everything. And I want the time with them to be fun and joyful. And memorable. And filled with laughter. I don’t want to sweat the small stuff. Just find the joy in every day. I just want to laugh. Little laughs every day with the kids. And big belly laughs. And giggles when we should be sleeping. And you-spilled-milk-but-all-you-can-do-is-laugh kind of stuff. So that’s my goal. Laugh often. Laugh it off. And find the joy.

2. Set daily, monthly, and weekly goals. This seems easy and simple, but really it’s not. Taking the time to set goals every single morning and for the week/month take time. But they help so much! I’m a visual person so seeing my goals written down and having a daily reminder of them is going to help me so much.

3. Set aside designated “me time”. As a busy mom of three, finding time for myself is hard. And now that I stay home with my children, it seems like every second of my day is accounted for. I’m the main chef, maid, stick figure artist, playtime coach, ouchie kisser, snuggler, grocery shopper, story teller, song singer, chauffeur, diaper changer, and snotty nose wiper. And it’s exhausting. And overwhelming. And wonderful. So this year I am going to be extra diligent about finding time for myself. Having a break from time to time is necessary for my sanity. And everyone is happier when I am happier.

4. Wake up before the kids. I know I have this as a goal every year, but the early morning hours are the perfect time for me to organize my day, do my devotions, sip my tea, and just have a little time to myself before the busy day starts. Getting up early is hard, but it’s so worth it. Whenever I do this I always feel more prepared to take on the day.

5. Create morning and evening routines that work. I’m focusing on simplifying all of our routines this year, and sticking to them! Now that Hudson is in school we have to be extra diligent about our morning routine. There is so much we have to do every morning so preparing the night before saves my sanity big time. I’m making it a goal that every night I set out everyone’s clothes for the next day, packing lunches, make sure snow pants and accessories are ready for school, and all papers are signed and packed in back packs.

6. Get help with tasks and get them off my plate! This year instead of putting off tasks that need to be done, I’m just going to do them and get it over with! One thing I always struggle with each year is filing my blogger taxes. It’s overwhelming and complicated (to me!), so I always put it off and wait until the last minute. But no more! This year I’m using H&R Block to handle my blogging taxes and already feel relieved! H&R Block can help me accomplish my goals without distracting from other important aspects of my life!

With H&R Block Online, I can do my taxes anywhere, anytime, and have the comfort that their expert tax pros are standing by to help if I need it! Filing taxes can be scary, but H&R Block makes it easy. Their tax pros will answer any questions I may have and I know the price every step of the way. No surprises and no hidden fees! They are a friendly, caring, and trusted partner while I try and navigate tax season. With tools like the tax calculator, H&R helps me better prepare and budget for 2019 by determining if I owe money or will be receiving a refund this year!

If I want more assistance, H&R Block has Tax Pro Go, a new virtual tax prep method where I can submit my blogging tax forms online and the tax pro does the rest, all without leaving my house so I can feel confident they will be done correctly!! They also let me hand select my tax pro! I answered a few questions, entered my zip code and had the option to select which expert I wanted to work with. Thanks to H&R Block’s dedicated, friendly and knowledgeable experts, now I have one less thing to worry about, so I can accomplish all of my 2019 goals!

What are you doing to start off 2019 right?