This time of year is tricky. Expectations that often are not met abound. We are attracted to the “shiny and new” as gifts pass hands, and tend to make plans for massive changes to the way we live. The thing is nothing stays shiny and new for long - we can forget why we were attracted to it to begin with. And changes don’t happen overnight, even with the best intentions.
Instead of putting pressure on a day or time of the year, perhaps a better approach would be to spend time daily looking at ways to create ease in our lives and to enact permanent changes that benefit us. In prepping mentally for this week’s post, I recovered an old piece I had written at the beginning of 2012. At first, I felt let down that I was thinking some of the same thoughts, as if I had not made progress. But then I realized that coming back to these thoughts was exactly where I should be. The cycle of the seasons, the cycle of each year, the cycle of our minds as we strive to understand how to live each day permits us to return to fundamental philosophies over and over again. Here is an updated version of the letter I wrote to our teacher and student community at the beginning of 2012…and now to you, in 2013.
_____
Happy Almost 2013! This is one of the traditional times during the calendar year we associate with new beginnings. New exercise programs, new endeavors, new goals. We start out with incredible intentions and then by the third week in January we burn out. Has this happened to you? You are not alone. Keep reading, the news gets better.
Depending on where you live, January and February can be tough months to get through because of the cold, darkness and tendency to spend more time indoors. For some of us (me) it can be depressing. For others, it can be invigorating.
Here is my personal plan to make it through the Winter AND see my 2013 goals realized: take one day at a time.
This year, instead of a new program that takes precious time and energy and forces you to work against your Winter nature, why not embark on a journey of wellness through a manageable and sustainable daily practice? Our bodies are actually not as willing as our minds might tell us they are (which is one reason we ultimately burn out), especially with the colder weather.
Force, willpower and guilt will not help you. Start each day positively and you will be amazed at what comes your way just by being open. I’m not suggesting you wander around the streets without a plan; go ahead and carve out your journey with places to go and people to see.
But just take one day at a time.
With this approach, each new day has the potential to be filled with the excitement of the New Year! Who’s with me?
- TaraMarie