Note: this piece first appeared in the January 2008 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.
A funny thing has happened to me over the past couple of months. As 2007 started winding down, I began setting goals and making plans for 2008. Like many other Americans, I made countless lists and plans, and I expected that, at the stroke of midnight on January 1, all my plans would magically come to fruition. I would wake up the next morning refreshed from my 8 to 9 hours of sleep, float into a brief meditation followed by yoga practice, and begin my workday with my wholesome, organic lunch waiting for me in the refrigerator.
Instead, I got the flu.
I rarely get sick, but every year around the holidays and New Year’s, I usually come down with something. I always joke (with some seriousness!) that it’s my body’s way of forcing me not to do too much during this traditionally very busy time. This year’s illness was so miserable that I was barely able to get out of bed for a week, much less enjoy the rigorous schedule I had planned out for myself for 2008.
So here we are, already into the second week of the year, and I’ve started to feel behind. What about my lists?! How will the mountain of projects I’ve dreamed up for myself ever become manageable when I’ve lost a whole week???
Hopefully you did not suffer with the flu last week, but even without a dramatic illness, many people (self included) seem to become derailed every January. We make great plans, but life marches on, interrupting our ability to execute those plans.
Whether or not you made a formal New Year’s Resolution list, you probably have a few ideas about things you’d like to achieve over the next 12 months. I want to encourage you to evaluate those plans with a whole new framework: beginning where you are.
The great news about all goals and plans is that you don’t have to wait for another New Year’s Day to start working on yourself and your life. You can start right now, wherever you are! As I dive into all the stuff that I need and want to do this year, I’m working hard at practicing patience with myself and realism about my own abilities. I don’t have to be Superwoman, and neither do you. The journey and the path are much more important than the pace.
With that principle in mind, I hope that you will take this post as an opportunity to review your current goals and plans. The second week of the new year is a great time to evaluate where you are now and begin there with whatever you want to accomplish. One tool I love to use when working on goals for myself and for my clients is the idea of “Nourishing the Four Selves.” Check out my tips for using this great tool.
