I used to approach New Year planning in only two ways:
Either I’d set these massive, ambitious goals that didn’t survive February…
or I’d skip planning altogether because I knew deep down:
This season of motherhood doesn’t leave room for rigid expectations.

Last year, I finally tried something different.
I shifted my focus from big outcomes to daily process.
I created systems—small, supportive rhythms that helped me move through my days with more ease.

And honestly? It worked.
These tiny systems changed how I feel in my life, not just how I manage it.
They made the everyday moments smoother, calmer, and more joyful.

Because here’s the truth I learned:
We think life is all about the big moments—the weddings, the vacations, the milestones.
But real life is built from the small ones:
what dinner feels like in your home,
how your mornings begin,
the way you walk through your front door at the end of the day.

Thinking small is actually thinking big.

So this year, I want to invite you into this with me.
Not for a whole year.
Not with pressure.
Just try one system for 30 days and see what shifts.

Send me Sanity-Saving Systems

Sometimes the smallest tweaks make the biggest difference. 
Here’s how I actually reset before January 1 — gently, simply, and in a way that fits this season of motherhood.”

Step 1: Look Back at Your Year (The Real-Life Mom Version)

Before I set intentions for a new year, I start with two simple questions. Not a worksheet, not a planner spread… just a cup of coffee and honesty.

1. What were my pain points this year?

Not the big, "become an idealized version of myself" ones.
The tiny friction points I tripped over every. single. week.

For me, it looked like:

The getting out the door chaos without yelling or being late.

• The 4–6 p.m. witching hour where I’m overstimulated, kids are asking for snacks and to be held at the same time, and I’m trying to figure out what I can make with a pack of ground beef and some carrots that will be ready ASAP—all while the overhead fan is on.
  
  
• Workouts always getting bumped—not because I don’t want to or I am lazy, but because I don’t have the structure that lets them fit without a decision being made.

None of these alone are deal-breakers.
But they slowly wear you down and make your everyday feel more stressful than joyful.

2. What did I want MORE of in 2026?

Not perfection. Not streaks. Just… more.

For me?

• More quiet mornings where everyone still has bed head and we pile onto the couch.
• More family walks—no commitment to daily, just… more.
• More movement because it makes me feel like myself again and feels good to take care of me, too.

Those moments told me exactly where I needed better systems—not more discipline.

Step 2: Set Intentions (Not Overwhelming Resolutions)

I’m not trying to become a brand-new woman on January 1 or set some big goal, like run a marathon (maybe one day though?).
I’m trying to support the woman I already am and give her space for more joy in her day-to-day.

The mental shift that finally made planning feel doable was this:

This took me years to understand.

For the longest time, structure felt bossy… even when I was the one making it.
My husband used to joke that no one can tell Sharee what to do — not even Sharee.
And he wasn’t wrong. The idea of past me telling present me what to do?
Hard pass.

Structure felt like extra work. It felt unnecessary.
It felt like something I could just “push through” instead of actually creating.
I told myself I didn’t need it — that I could keep juggling everything in my head and I could. But just because I could scrape by doing that didn't make it feel good. 

But last year, I finally leaned into structure. I started seeing it as a container that would give me more room for creativity and joy.

And honestly?

It gave me more calm.
It gave me margin.
It gave me more joy because I wasn’t drowning in constant decision-making.

Structure didn’t trap me.
It made my life lighter.

Step 3: Try It for One Month (Not the Whole Year)

I’m not asking you to overhaul your life.
I’m not even asking you to plan your whole year.

Just try my 3 sanity-saving systems for 30 days.
See if your days feel even 10% easier.

And if you can only do one system? Beautiful. Start there.
This is not an all-or-nothing year.

Because the truth is: last year, three systems quietly saved my sanity.
They didn’t fix everything—but they made my days smoother, calmer, and more doable.

I’m bringing them back for 2026.

✨ My Sanity-Saving Systems (The Ones That Actually Worked) ✨

These were the first three systems that actually changed my day-to-day — the ones I recommend starting with. These are already on The Poppy Edit, and they’re the three places I’d start if I were rebuilding my life from scratch again.

1. My Meal Planning System That Saves My Sanity

This one changed my entire 4–6 p.m. window.
It removed decision fatigue, made the week feel smoother, and gave me back my evenings.
It saved time for me when grocery shopping every. single. week.

I still use it every month.

→ Read it here:
https://thepoppybrand.com/blogs/the-poppy-edit/the-meal-planning-system-that-saves-my-sanity

2. The Command Center System That Keeps Us Moving

Think of this as your family’s brain—somewhere all the schedules, get-out-the-door items, and plans live so they don’t live in your mental load anymore.

Implementing this system last year was a huge change to how getting out the door felt for my kids, and how my husband felt in his ability to lead the day too instead of asking me how he can help.

→ Read it here:
https://thepoppybrand.com/blogs/the-poppy-edit/sanity-saving-systems-the-command-centers-that-keep-us-moving

3. My Habit-Building Trick for Real Mom Self-Care

Not spa days and not an ideal routine that's unsustainable and you’ll abandon by week three.
Just a tiny, repeatable way to show up for yourself that actually sticks.

This is how I found consistency again—with workouts, with reading, with taking my dang vitamins.

→ Read it here:
https://thepoppybrand.com/blogs/the-poppy-edit/my-habit-building-trick-for-self-care

Want these systems without building anything yourself?

If you're thinking,
“Okay… I want this, but I definitely don’t have the brainspace to build my own systems right now,”
I’ve got you.
My sanity-saving systems are already made for you—I’ll send the templates, the breakdowns, and the first system straight to your inbox.

Send me Sanity-Saving Systems

This is the exact system that makes my mornings smoother and takes the decision fatigue out of dinner.