New Year's Resolutions

There are many times throughout the year that seem to imply a new beginning. Given that the last day of one year and first day of the next are often sandwiched somewhere in a holiday break, the difference between the two days is relatively minor - except for maybe the hangover. Yet the desire to "start anew" seems to entice us.   

Whether it's Spring, the end of the school year or the beginning, "starting anew" is as ingrained in us as time itself. Like all things in nature, we are cyclical beings continuously shifting from a beginning to a middle to an end. 

In terms of each New Year there seems to be a larger, collective impulse to start again as we have agreed on a global calendar. Personally, we each want our lives to reflect our values and ideals and we recognize how easy it is to get stuck or drift off course. Having time as a constraint, we have decided to use it as a marker... a starting point for something "else."

If you are one who enjoys new beginnings, you have likely made some kind of resolve to coincide with the New Year. Though I typically see "New Year's Resolutions" as a way for me to set myself up with over-ambitious expectations, I always set inner intentions for what I desire for the year and shift my focus towards them.

Whatever your method, I encourage you to be gentle with yourself. Pick things that are grand, yet doable. Give yourself some wiggle room for growth and find support to help you stay on track. And, most importantly, if you get discouraged along the way, remember you are always exactly where you need to be!

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