I don’t know about your house, but in my family, the resolutions have already begun meeting reality. Diets are hard to maintain in cold weather. No one is going out for a run in the snow. With only one day of school under our belts, the backpacks were already in the middle of the living room and “reminders” needed to be repeated.
A wise suggestion I heard in late December was to consider a theme for the year. Instead of a list of specific, ignorable tasks, give yourself a theme for the changes you want to make in the coming year. Some of the suggestions were “charity,” “patience,” and “mindfulness.” It is easier to keep on track with a broad theme, even if there are small missteps and mistakes along the way.
We used the same idea in law school when we were learning about trial preparation techniques, and I frequently encourage my clients to try it in their divorces. Sometimes the nitty-gritty of sorting out how to divide an entire life gets overwhelming. Priorities can fall by the wayside as people try to sort out who brought how much money to the marriage, and how that money was spent. The credit cards are high, and it feels as if the other person ran them up; but does it count if we both use the gaming system with the kids? Do “loans” taken out from parents and in-laws count as gifts, or are they loans that are expected to be paid back now that we are getting divorced?
Even after the parties have reached general consensus, questions may arise about relocation (how far is too far? How much notice is required?), extra-curricular activities (who decides which lessons, camps, and programs? Who pays for them?), and title to the property (do we buy each other out now? Wait until the market rebounds?). The details can overwhelm even the most amicable and level headed people. But, by keeping to a theme answers may become more readily apparent.
Your theme might be something like “Any price for freedom,” in which case the questions about who keeps the record collection, the dog, and the dining room set won’t need a second thought. Or you might be most concerned about keeping a college savings account for the kids, no matter what.
A theme like “keep the costs low and the savings high,” makes it easier to walk away from a battle about what time visitation should end on weekends. Fighting costs money. Also, we had a dispute once in which the Husband didn’t want to give the Wife a percentage of his annual bonus, saying she did not need the extra money. The wife agreed that she did not need it; but that there was no safety net for the kids. They agreed that a percentage of the husband’s annual bonus would go into the kids’ college savings account. Neither parent increased their own income, but both were satisfied with the outcome.
One client had been separated for over a year from her husband, but they had not been able to work out the details of the divorce, until the wife realized she was expecting her boyfriend’s child. The theme of that divorce became “I’m planning my next wedding.” One of the stumbling blocks, the question of alimony, disappeared pretty quickly with the new theme.
What We Love: Finding your own theme can help you keep perspective when the details of a divorce threaten to derail your sanity.
Love Your Divorce 