Your 2015 PLAYlist

It’s Time to Make Your 2014 PLAYlist

It’s the middle of January…do you know where your New Year’s Resolutions are?

Whether you are a resolutions kinda person, or not, most of us can’t help but join in the “fresh start” feel-good party that happens at the start of each new year.  I have often said that I consider September the beginning of my “new year”, when kids go back to school, I get back into a routine, and my work comes back into focus.

Come January, I tend to think about what little changes I want and need to make to help me move the ball forward on my bigger goals.  This year it’s things like drink significantly more water and less wine, workout more in order to sleep better and have a clearer mind, say no to things when they really don’t resonate or match my bigger picture, and never feel guilty about choosing to be with my boys in the evening over a work function…even if said function might be good for my “brand”.  My boys don’t give a rat’s arse about my brand.

And of course, I look at how I am practicing what I preach when it comes to incorporating more PLAY  into my life.

I truly do believe that as humans we need…NEED time and space to tap into our playful spirits.  Those moments of inner- joy producing play (however brief), open up the flood gates of creativity, stress-reduction, connectivity to our inner happy, mental clarity, and physical well being.  Not to mention how play bonds us to the ones we’re playing WITH.

But for me it’s not enough to just intend to play more.  I need to make a plan, make it visual, and then take marked steps to make it happen.  Play time will always be pushed to the bottom of the “must-do” list.

I introduced the idea of creating a posted-on-the-refrigerator PLAYlist during a key note talk I did several years ago, and since then I have had many a mom message me to tell me they have posted their lists on their fridges, and are playing more because of it.

So as we hit the middle of January, I thought I’d share a printable we’ve created to help you make a plan for more play as well.  I’ve broken it into 5  sections to help you cover all the bases of your life.

This isn’t meant to give you yet MORE to do in your already overflowing days.  It’s meant to inspire.

Using this PLAYlist, ask yourself how you can add a few purposeful acts of playfulness around your Playground (your home), with your family, with your partner, in your work, and on your OWN.  Allow yourself to play when no one’s watching and it’s just for you!

In the coming weeks, I’ll be posting about each of these sections and giving you some specific ideas for incorporating more playfulness within them.

You can print your own PLAYlist RIGHT HERE on MeredithPlays.com

I’d love to hear how you plan to play more in 2014!

Happy Brand New Year!…it’s time to play.