My friend celebrated her 10-year wedding anniversary recently, and took a great photo of herself and her husband on the top of a beautiful mountain. They got engaged up another mountain, so I guess that’s their thing. And what a lovely thing it is: to be able to shake off the chaos and business of life with jobs and kids and family and rushing...and to head up a mountain, back to basics, back to where it all began. Their smiles said it all.
Cliched as it is, 10 years goes in the blink of an eye. It really does. And while you can’t plan for everything, and no doubt that’s a good thing; it’s also important to check in with yourself every so often, be that a New Year’s resolution or a spring clean or a summer detox or a random Tuesday. It doesn’t matter when you do it; the key is to consciously take the time to step back and ask yourself: are you where you want to be in your relationship/ job/ health/ finances, and so on?
Life ebbs and flows, and your level of contentment in each of the areas can frequently change; but if you find yourself dissatisfied with some area of your life, do yourself the courtesy of addressing it. You might work with a coach to really drill down into what you want to change, and have the support of someone to challenge you and help keep you on track; or you might just talk to friends or family. Whatever way feels right for you, the feeling of making even small changes can fuel the energy you will need to make bigger ones.
It’s the New Year, and it’s a classic time where people start afresh. One lovely way of doing it is to write down some specifics of where you will be by the end of the year. Date it 'December 31 2017', and write it in the present tense: “My finances are under control”, “I feel healthy”, “I’m out of a toxic relationship”, “I’m more patient with my kids”, “I worry less”. Then work backwards from there, and put some clear, specific structures in place to help you meet those goals. Don’t let yourself off the hook. If you slip up, don’t beat yourself up about it; just be proud of how far you’ve already come, and start again. The main thing is to keep going, and to remember why you are doing what you are doing. And a reward won’t hurt, either!
January can be a tough month for some, but really, it’s no different to any other time of year. You have nothing to lose by trying.
So, now it’s over to you - finish the sentence: the date is December 31, 2017 and I...
