Dipping Deeply Into the New Year

It’s pretty darned hard to miss the flashing ads and headlines that remind me, and all of us, that this is the time for resolve, discipline, will power. My own natural desire  to get more in touch with my healthy body through diet and exercise at this time of year always finds plenty of support from the culture around me. I don’t mind riding that wave. But anybody at my gym will tell you that the new spurt of activity lasts about six weeks.

What makes it stick is when I dip deeply to discover what’s been in the way of change.  I’ve discovered for myself that  any resolutions for the new year just don’t take unless I spend some time thinking about where I’ve been, getting my bearings for what’s ahead.

Because the unquestioned past seems to have a way of becoming in the future.

So I’m planning on spending a little time every day  to remember where I’ve been. Where did I “forget” my resolutions? What got in the way. When I’m on my game, I keep a food and exercise journal. When I’m not, I have amnesia. So looking over old journals provides a clue.

When I connect the dots to past sabotage, I seem to always discover  that I have made bigger breakthroughs when I’ve questioned the thoughts that have held me prisoner. This helps me to get my bearings for what’s ahead. I remember what I easily forget: that clarity comes when I listen within.

This interior process can continue  into the winter months and matches perfectly the weather reports urging me to “stay home.” The pay-off is often enormous connection with that source, the fuse that powers real change.

What are your ways of preparing for the new year? How do you call yourself home from the chaos of the holidays? What thoughts or beliefs would you like to explore in the coming months? I’m curious.