A New Year Brings A Fresh Start

It's the first week of January. It's not just a new month, it's a new year. You've undoubtedly heard people already talking about their goals and New Year's resolutions. People will want to quit smoking, lose the same dreaded 5 or 10 pounds, get that new job, further their relationships, put some money in the bank, or perhaps strengthen their faith journey. But what if the new year wasn't just about what you want to be doing or where you want to be? What if it could be more about how you want to feel at the end of 2016 or how you want to be thinking? This time next year what do you want to be thankful for? What do you want to have been your most shining moment of the year?

I ended my 2015 by beginning a new, healthier lifestyle. I'm already on my way by laying the groundwork. I'm not where I want to be quite yet, but I am making strides and heading in the right direction. My first goal will be to stay focused and to stay on the path that I've already chosen.

My second agenda item (I hate setting too many goals, lol) will be to start listening more to myself. Every year I seem to hear the same little voice in my head that always repeats itself, 'don't forget to make more time for yourself', 'simplify your life', 'slow down a bit', 'try living more for today' ... You'd think I'd recognize the voice by now and pay more attention to it, but I suppose I'm a creature of habit. I'm great at talking, but not always at listening. It's okay - I can admit my shortcomings. It's how I grow.

Setting our entire next year in motion clearly isn't simple enough (or neat enough) to fit in the tidy perimeters of just one blog post. Our goals will change, as will our desires and aspirations. Our momentum will be like the speed of a roller coaster; it will go up and it will come back down as it twists and turns and leaves us dizzy, but exhilarated. In spite of our good intentions, our year ahead is a mystery at best. We'll be able to predict the outcome about as good as the weathermen predict the first snowfall (and I'm not bashing the profession of meteorology). I am merely suggesting that life can be unpredictable at times.

So go ahead and make some goals. Think about where you'd like to see yourself, but be open to change and spontaneity. It can make for a more interesting and eventful ride.