New Year’s Mission

Every Labor Day, I reflect on my life’s work and create my new years mission. It is perfect timing with the start of the new academic year. Any “beginning” is a time for reflection on what’s worked in the past and what needs changing. Change is good. It is a time for fresh starts.

The kids have their new school clothes ready, having grown out of everything from last year. Their attitude is in place. Ted and I are reflecting on the summer and how we spent time giving the kids what each individually needed. Lots of play dates and outside play for Lily, challenges and confidence-building for Leo, and a welcoming family for Cal to introduce to his girlfriend. Mission accomplished, now it’s time for new objectives. For the kids, we are focused on developing better study and eating habits.

School, bring it on!

It is good news that we can reinvent ourselves every day. Because it means the things that are not working for us, don’t have to stay. Ruts can dissolve with a new course of action. These little beginnings call our attention to what we’d like to focus on more consciously.

Before getting caught in the hustle and bustle of the new routine, take a moment to write down your new desires for the year.

Here is my New Years Mission:

1. Keep apprised of world events

Take action when I can. (i.e., let my representatives know what I want them to do by writing or calling in my opinion.) This is best done if I create a habit. At least give opinion on one issue a month. Donate to causes when I can.

Consciously decide what to do. And be flexible. Appreciate myself for whatever.

2. Organize the mornings

I want to squeeze a lot into the mornings, and mostly this is OK because this is when I am most productive. Walk, yoga, meditate, blog, email, write, clean, make breakfast and lunches for three of us, feed the chickens, get ready for work, assist the kids, etc. Whenever I want to add a new practice in my life, I immediately think to throw it into my morning routine. If I did everything that I wanted to and needed to do in the morning, I would take 5 hours and that could be just used on email.  My challenge this year is to use the mornings more efficiently. (I need another piece of paper for this one.)

Consciously decide what to do. And be flexible. Appreciate myself for whatever.

3. Simplify

This will help #2. Get rid of the things that I don’t need in my life. De-cluttering stuff is something to constantly keep up with. When you have kids there are constantly things coming in the home, you have to keep up with getting rid of something else. I do it regularly. This also means get rid of tasks I don’t need.

I have been simplifying my counseling practice in the last year (I’ve gone to online scheduling), and this month marks another new transition. I have not renewed contracts with a few medical insurance panels. (Ones that require a lot of paperwork, and take a long time to process with small reimbursement rates.) This will significantly decrease my paperwork load!

I am also breaking ground on a new home office and classroom. In a few months, I will not have the upkeep, commute or rent on a separate office for the first time in ten years. Big yay!

Write blog posts faster. 😉

Consciously decide what to do. And be flexible. Appreciate myself for whatever.

4. Do what my heart desires

I love plants. I want to learn more about them. Since this is not a priority, it often gets relegated to the bottom of the list. But it feeds my heart to learn more and maybe I could focus on one plant a week or something. Surely, that is doable. If not, there is always the next week!

Maybe I can dance more around the house. And sing. And kiss people.

Also, plan workshops. This has been my desire for a long time, but a” busy work schedule” was my excuse. I no longer let it get in my way. There is lots coming up this year!

I have Trust Your Inner Goddess coming up at Absolute Yoga, and October’s Unpacking Your Emotional Suitcase is filling up. (Get your registrations in!) I am also doing a few talks at Rochester’s Greentopia: Side of the Road Salad, Green Cleaning Supplies, Making Your Environmental Mission Statement (I’m not on their website yet, date and time TBA). I am doing a training on Healing With The Elements in November. And don’t forget next year’s Reclaiming Your Soul, Healing from Sexual Abuse and Assault.

Consciously decide what to do. And be flexible. Appreciate myself for whatever.

5. Take care of my body and mind

This is about consistency. Make consistent time for walking, meditation, prayer, and yoga. Eat consistently better. Be outside as much as possible. Be mindful when I am with people. Just be with them.

Consciously decide what to do. And be flexible. Appreciate myself for whatever.

6. Have a good attitude

Life goes up and down. Things take longer than expected. When you are engaged in loads of things, there are more things to go wrong. Expect them. (They may or may not have to do with me. But I don’t have to be a victim of them.)

Engage in mundane tasks as if they are as glamorous as glorious tasks.

Allow myself to feel bad when I do, without judgment or anxiety, so I can go through it to the other side.

So there you have it. This is not necessarily a logical process. It is something I feel my way through with loads of flexibility, creating and developing it new each day.

When you write your hopes and dreams for this “new” year, share it with me!