What kind of year will you be having?
Are you ready? What is your game plan for the year ahead?
By Rosalie Ambrose, Head: Public Relations, Nestlé east and southern Africa region
On your marks and get ready to start the new year better than any other year. The new year doesn’t have to start in a rush and panic, as the cliché goes, ‘prepare for an umbrella before it rains.” If we get all our ducks in a row, as best we can, the year ahead will have fewer challenges.
Planning for the new year is about making the right decisions, reflecting on your previous year, starting preparations early. The ‘preparation’ should be across all facets of our lives, and this is especially true when preparing for back to school – preparing our children to either join or return to school. We ought to start early in December, and this should not only be about stationery and new uniforms, but also about physical, mental, and nutritional wellness. Here are a few pointers to get you armed to #startready in 2023:
ON YOUR MARKS!
Reflect on the year you’ve had as you get ready for the new year. Review your physical, mental, financial, and nutritional aspects and that of your family so you can understand what to let go, retain, and improve in 2023.
The mental aspect of life is often overlooked in reflections and planning, but it is always important to consider this too, especially for your children. How did certain things make them feel and how can they be improved in the new year?
As much as caregivers have anxiety for the new year, children also have jitters about the start of something new, be it a new school, a new class, or new friends, it can all be exciting and nerve-wrecking at the same time. It takes a village, and in the chosen villages for our little children, we can help them overcome anxiety and ease fears that come with the newness of the new year. Things like validating their fears, making them understand that elders also have fears, and modelling a positive and healthy way of dealing with anxiety can be helpful for children. It is however always critical to look out for signs and seek professional help to help you and your children manage.
GET READY!
Once you’ve given enough time, thought it through, next is the time to start planning what you want for the year. Write down goals and milestones you want to achieve. Get ready to shake off lingering worries as the new year begins.
Planning can include tools like calendars to plan important days, having a journal to set goals, and outlining important milestones to work toward in the new year. Set financial goals for yourself, too, such as an emergency fund savings plan for school shoes for the new term, a school trip plan, or stationery needed unexpectedly during the year, such as lost textbooks. There are various saving tips available; you can reach out to approved financial institutions for help with financial planning and saving for emergency funds.
GO!
As you prepare for a new era, it is important to involve children in the planning so that once they understand why and style, it’s easier to operate. Children are always learning new things and listening to them helps caregivers interact with them easily.
Having a good year starts with proper planning and getting rid of the bugbears before they creep in. You can always determine the kind of year you ought to have for you and your children as we prepare for back to school.
For more information visit, www.nestle-esar.com and follow @nestleESAR on Facebook and twitter #nestlegoodtogo