A new year… a clean slate…

A New Year…a clean slate… an opportunity to start over! This is the time that we are motivated to set goals (e.g. to lose weight, manage our finances better, start a regular exercise program). Then at the first slip, it is so easy to give up.

Maybe our fresh start this year can begin with an acknowledgement of our human-ness. "To err is human" …we are not perfect. We will not always adhere to the diet, budget, or exercise program, but that doesn't mean we have to abandon our plans. Instead it means picking ourselves up, refocusing on our goals and getting on with it. We need to forgive ourselves for occasional slips and not let them deter us. Frequent slips indicate the need for further reflection. What are the feelings and circumstances that trigger the slips? Can we avoid them or handle them in a more positive way? Are we really committed to our original goals? Perhaps they need to be modified. Are they, in fact, our goals, or are they someone else's goals for us? Other people's goals are rarely satisfactory motivators for our changes. If we are really committed to the goals but they are large (e.g. losing 20 kg), we may need to break them into smaller, more manageable chunks (e.g. losing 5 - 6 kg in 3 months). Each small success increases our self-confidence and self-esteem and motivates us to keep working toward the next level. Support from family or friends also helps to keep us on track. Whatever we are working toward this year, it is important to give ourselves time to reflect on both our dreams and our blessings.

Whether you are a resolution-setter or not, New Year's is always a valuable time for reflection and refocusing on our priorities. If we focus primarily on either the past or the future, we are missing all that we really have.

Yesterday is gone, and tomorrow is uncertain. Today is a gift. Be grateful for it. Today is life, not a dress rehearsal!