[The Sunday Spark] 🌳 Relationship Forests

The Sunday Spark!

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Hi friends,

We Say Relationships Are Important, But Are We Nurturing Them?

While we often claim that relationships are a top priority, when it comes to goal-setting, we rarely include actionable steps to maintain them. That’s why my calendar question for this month is focused on making relationships intentional and actionable.

Who are the most important people in your life? And more importantly, how will you nurture those relationships?

Relationships Don’t Last Without Care

Many assume that strong relationships—especially those with family and long-time friends—will withstand the test of time. But just like a forest, relationships don’t sustain themselves without consistent care. You might remember my podcast episode, "Have You Watered the Forest?" The idea is the same: relationships don’t thrive on their own. They need nurturing, they need effort.

How Are You Maintaining Important Relationships?

Immediate Family: Your spouse, your children—are you making time for one-on-one moments with them? Or are you just hoping those moments will happen naturally?
Parents & Siblings: If your parents live nearby, how are you ensuring you spend quality time with them? If they live in another country, how are you keeping in touch—weekly, daily, or at another meaningful frequency?
Extended Family: What about your uncles, aunts, cousins and family members who are important to you? Do you reach out to them, or do months go by without a beep?
Old Friends: We often say that friendships from school or college remain close, that we can pick up right where we left off. But is that really the case? Or do they require intentional connection—through a call, an annual reunion, or a text.
Former Colleagues: You may still call them friends, but when was the last time you actually spoke to them?

Water the Forest

When we nurture our relationships, small misunderstandings and time apart won’t set them ablaze. A well-watered forest doesn’t burn down easily.

Who will you reach out to this week? This month? Making a list first definitely helps.

I hope you make February a month to work on your relationship goals—just like any other goals—and give them the attention they deserve.

Here is an update on my No and Yes list implementation last week:

Here is my No list for January:

No phone in bed-Done
No snoozing in the morning (will turn off the phone at night and use an alarm clock)-failed, done once. My foggy brain kept saying this was last week to get the option to sleep as I wished before school starts.
No phone in the first hour of the day-Done.
No Social media or email on workdays from 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm (supports quality time with the kids)-Done.
No to leaving work without writing a to-do list for the next day (check this podcast episode).-Done.

And in January, I will say Yes to:

Watching one episode of a show every day-Done.
Choosing my outfit the day before (supports being on time)-Done.
Choosing what podcast/audiobook/course I will listen to while I drive before I get into the car-Done most days.
Sleeping before 11 pm during the workweek-Naps ruined bed time twice.
Waking up at 4:30 am Monday-Thursday (to work on my goal of writing content, that will feed my blog, podcast, newsletter, and social media)-Done once. See note on point 2 in No list above
Time blocking my day-Done.
Speaking kindly to myself if I don’t do something on my list and try again the next day-Done.

What about you?

What are you saying Yes to and No to this month to make time for your goals?

P.S. Let’s chat if you are considering hiring me to talk to your team about the science of goal setting, building habits, mastering focus to improve performance and time management, or beating burnout. Reply to this email, and we can start from there.