Starting Over…Yet Again

A new year begins – time to evaluate the past and anticipate the present.

Every time the clock strikes 12 on December 31st it’s as though we all wish for a little bit ‘o magic. We have hope for a new year, a clean slate, 365 days ahead of us to start fresh. However, I think it’s a good time to revisit the last 365 days, even if just for a few minutes.

I write a “year-in-review” on the 31st. I’ve been doing it for the past five years. This year I even started it a day earlier. And I’ve been editing it for a day or two since the new year began. For me it’s a cathartic process. It gives me a chance to look back and remember the good and the not so good moments. The times I want to treasure forever and those I’d rather forget.

Some how writing it down helps me. Helps me to think about my mistakes, my behaviors, my patterns and really try to figure out how I can grow, learn and better myself. I know I need to forgive a little more, be more patient (this is a BIG problem for me), and realize that my emotions should not be driven by other people’s actions. I have a tendency to get so wrapped up in thinking what someone says or does ALWAYS has to do with me. And often times it has NOTHING to with me. However, I just take everything as a personal attack. I’m learning that not everything can go the way I’d like and I need to stop focusing on what I can’t change. I need to think before I speak, be calmer and try to take things one day at a time.

So, while I don’t have “resolutions” per se, I think the above shows you what I’m learning from my year-in-reviews. And what I'm going to try to focus on in the current year. Perhaps, just taking time to wonder about what transpired in the past may help move us towards new opportunities, new challenges and even our “new” self.

And here’s hoping that whatever you need to do to help you transition from 2009 to 2010, remember that it’s not a race, it’s a journey. Therefore, enjoy the time and never try to rush a whole year away. There’s always much more to discover about yourself and your life.