4 Questions To Ask Yourself When You Crave Change

Now that 2020 is officially behind us, I am looking forward to a fresh start in 2021. The beginning of a new year is a perfect time to reevaluate the direction we are headed, and to prioritize the things we are craving.

I found myself questioning things I’m doing more than ever this past year. What am I doing? Why? What is the purpose? Where am I going? (Well not literally, of course) But really wondering where my life is headed.

Today I’m going to share with you the 4 real questions I ask myself when I am ready to make some changes in my life. Grab a notebook and brainstorm along with me!

The 4 Big Questions

Often when I’m tired of feeling like I am just spinning my wheels in life will ask myself these questions. 

1. What are my favorite things to do?

I’ll then list out 3,4, or 5 absolute favorite things I enjoy doing. 

Here are mine, for example:

1. Spending time with my family that is relaxed and not interrupted by needing to do lots of tasks/chores.
2. Spending time outside with my animals, doing homestead projects, watching my kids play
3. Having time to talk to friends and family, whether in person or on the phone
4. Cooking 
5. Doing craft projects

Getting the things I really enjoy doing out and put into words is the first starting point. Side note here, I’m pretty sure my love language is quality time after writing out my favorite things. Ha!

2. What are the most important things in my life?

These do not have to be physical things. They can be ideas, activities, etc.

Here are mine:

1. My faith and relationship with God
2. My husband and children
3. Other family and friends
4. My animals
5. Having basic necessities met

3. What am I doing now that I dislike?

Of course, there will always be some level of things we do that we dislike, but this question is important to evaluate.  

Here are a few things I do but dislike:

• Unending laundry
• Shuffling clutter
• Yelling at others because I am overwhelmed
• Wasting time on social media
• Feeling like i have a lack of time
• Procrastinate projects in fear of how difficult they’ll be

4. What’s Next?

Honestly, this point of accessing our priorities could be a little overwhelming. Whats next? I like to think of it as having everything boiled down. Now we can rebuild and refocus on what is important and how we can best use the time we have available to get the things we want to do accomplished.

Here is what changes I’ve decided I need to make to shift my routines and actions to fit more into what I am wanting out of life.

Decluttering

Decluttering is going to be one of my biggest goals in 2021.

This can seem like a stressful topic all in itself, but getting rid of stuff really helps me feel less stressed. Here are the main things Im getting rid of this year:

Clothing

I don’t know about you, but my husband, children and I always seem to default to the same 5-7 outfits regardless of how many clothes we have. Decluttering the excess clothes not only saves me clothes on the floor, but will cut back on the endless laundry.

Kitchen “Essentials”

Hear me out. I love cooking and I have a pretty full kitchen, but I’ve been paying attention to my favorite things the last few weeks and there is just several things I don’t use anymore. 

Anything I haven’t used in the last few months is getting donated, Also anything I have duplicates of will be finding a new home.

Paper clutter

I’ve recently realized that 99% of the paper clutter that is hanging around could be fairly easily replaced. I’m going to seek out the absolutely important stuff, marriage records, birth certificates, etc, and then everything else is going to be recycled.

Screen time limits

My kids are so much better at limiting their screen time than I am. They don’t have tablets, video games or social media so there isn’t much of a pull, but I really struggle with picking up my phone too often.

After evaluating my favorite things, social media didn’t even show up on my list! Yet I spend way too much time there every week. I’m going to be setting limits on my social media apps and leaving my phone in a dedicated spot during the day so it isn’t so easily accessible.

Making Important Things Easier

I wrote down the most important thing for me is my faith and relationship with God. My daily life doesn’t always reflect that though. I want to spend more time in God’s word and in prayer. 

My plan to make this habit easier is that I’m going to put my bible beside the chair where I drink my morning coffee and I’m going to promise myself and God that I’m going to open it and read it in the mornings. 

I’m also going to tell my children that this is a very important goal of mine. They do a better job than anyone else at holding me accountable when I tell them I’m going to do something!

Delegating Tasks

Often it’s hard for moms to ask for help. My children are old enough and very capable of doing jobs around the house. They do them often as it is, but there are a few more things they could easily add into their chore routines.

Having them do more will ultimately give us more time as a family. I know they will appreciate that as well. 

Biggest Takeaway

The biggest take away I have today is that wherever you are and however you’re feeling, there are things you can take control of.

Ask yourself these questions:

What are my favorite things to do?

What are the most important things in my life?

What am I doing now that I dislike?

Whats next?

Answer these questions and reevaluate how you are spending your time and resources. Make a plan and start with some slow changes.

Remember that progress starts with action. And small progress adds up! 

The time is going to pass anyway.

Give a little thought to how you can life a more fulfilling life and make some small changes today.

I’m rooting for you!

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