“Should auld acquaintance be forgot and auld lang syne….. “

Those are the famous words of the theme song for New Years Eve.  We hear those famous notes of the song as soon as the clock strikes midnight.  Right after that song is over we start our New Year’s traditions: 

-Eating black eyed peas

-Putting away our Christmas decorations

-Getting ready for a fast or cleanse of some sort after all of the bad food we ate the month prior

-The most famous of all: making New Year’s resolutions

Making a resolution is not a bad thing-its just feels like a practice that is hardly ever successful.  We beat ourselves up for what we have done the prior year and then make an enormous goal that is almost impossible to reach.  We then find the goal so difficult that we give up almost as soon as we start.

Well this year I am recommending something different.  Instead of setting New Year’s Resolutions let’s instead: pick a word for the year.

Now this cannot just be any word.  It’s a word you pick after you think about the things you have (and haven’t) accomplished the past year.  All while considering the things you want to accomplish for the upcoming year. It’s a word you will use as your theme for the entire year.  So you must not take it lightly-(I mean you aren’t going to send someone to the moon or anything but give it a few moments of thought).  

The best way to do this is get quiet with your self for a few minutes (your journal time, when you are in the bathroom, or getting ready for bed.  As you sit in the quiet-what word (s) come to you?  Its usually comes in a quiet voice to me.  But to some you may drive past a billboard and see the word and it just resonates with you.  Some words you may choose would be: fight, strong, warrior, courage, rest, peace.  It doesn’t have to be any of these-make it your own.

After you choose that word-write it or type it out and place it in an area where you will frequently see it.  That can be the refrigerator, on your desk, in your car or in your office.

At the end of last year I found myself wanting to make some huge changes to my practice/business but really unsure how to get there.  I made all of these great plans for the changes with a key employee who then gave me her resignation notice (with really no notice) at our Christmas Party!  A word just jumped into my heart and that word was:

ONWARD

I put that word up on a wall in my office and went to work.  I had no idea- we would go through a pandemic, protests, a re-election and so much loss this year.  But as cheesy as it sounds-this word, ONWARD, was my theme and in the hard times I would find myself thinking back on it.

So instead of (or in addition to) making a New Year’s resolution-pick a word that embodies what you want your year to be.

Happy New Year,

Adrienne