our 2022 family meeting

photo by Shandy Mikkelsen

Every year in December, Eric and I sit down together to talk about the past year — what went well and what didn’t — and the upcoming year — our ideas, our hopes, our dreams. It was Eric’s idea many, many years ago, and I have grown to love the intentionality!

Eric created a PDF outline/booklet to guide us, which is what we use every year, and you can purchase a copy here, if you’re interested.

When I look back at our 2021 family meeting, I am amazed at how many of the things we wanted to do actually happened. Not all of them, but most!

From this meeting we both get action items or “homework” that we are in charge of completing. Sometimes they are fun, like “find patio furniture we want to buy” and sometimes they are less exciting, like “fill out the millions of forms required to sign up the kids for summer camp.”

Here’s a few of the things we discussed for 2022:

Financial goals:

  • Increase how much we are putting in our kids’ 529 plans

  • Become an official part-owner of my family’s Okoboji home

Events:

  • Summer camp for both kids

  • Eric’s 200-mile bike ride

  • Daddy Daughter Dance

  • Mother Son Dance

  • Kids’ activities (baseball, softball, dance, volleyball, swimming lessons)

  • Rooney’s 10th birthday party

  • Finch’s 7th birthday party

  • 20-year high school reunions

Big purchases:

  • New patio furniture

  • New bed for Rooney

Home improvements:

  • Add trim in the basement

  • Add a patio and fire pit to our backyard

  • Paint our kitchen countertop

  • Wallpaper the laundry room

  • Update landscaping

Travel plans:

  • Minneapolis weekend

  • Eric’s work trips

  • Spring break trip

  • Anniversary trip

  • Okoboji

  • Jester Park

Personal goals:

  • Blog at least 40 times (last year my goal was 36 and I did 42)

  • Move my body more — walking, biking, scootering, yoga, etc.

  • Seek more adventure — hot air balloon ride, river tubing, zip line, cliff jumping?!

Relationship goals:

  • Continue with couples/parenting therapy

  • Monthly date nights

Parenting goals:

  • Monthly one-on-one dates with our kids

  • Serve as a family at least quarterly

Do you have family meetings every year? I can’t recommend it enough!

lifestylekelsey williamsComment