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A new year is upon us and it is time to reflect and vision. We say goodbye to a year and welcome a new one. We see December 31 and January 1 as markers…a transition point…an opportunity for a fresh start; however, it is more of a place to stop and consider what you have done and what you will do. A point that is more about pivoting rather than starting. You are already on a journey!

Take a moment to think deeper about this year, your years that have past and the future years to come and realize that they will always be like a scale. There will be positive things encountered and challenging experiences met, and that is unavoidable. My only hope is that your scale tips towards the positive occurrences. Saying that, you can not sit back and watch your scale and see how it goes, you are the one that tips the scale one way or another. You choose how to react to a situation and decide if it is something that will affect you one way or another.

A new year emerging means a time for resolutions for many and say what you will or will not do. A new beginning to make changes. You want to write a new book that will be your new life as you threshold into the new year. Your coming year is about adding a new habit you want or removing one that you don’t want. Well, I don’t make resolutions because they are absolutes, instead, a new year is a chapter to an ever emerging book of my life rather than a new book. There will be challenges encountered, that I can be sure of; however, I don’t fear my challenges or the unknown. I need trials in my life and must not fear them because they help me to learn and become stronger. This means we must face our fears and try new things because they are integral to incorporate into our journey. What is it that you want to do but have not tried? Too many times, people talk themselves out of opportunities because they feel that they are not ready. Doubt replaces confidence.

As we enter 2019, replace resolution with intentions. Setting a statement on what you will or will not do can be difficult and many times we don’t complete what we set out to do. We beat ourselves up to say that I did not do what I set out to do or perhaps I will do it next year. The intention allows us a broader perspective and be open to how things may happen.

So what might we do as we venture into 2019?
• How about setting intentions rather than resolutions. Think about what is important to you and rather than an absolute statement, move forward and be more open about the outcomes as they emerge.
• Take time to reflect on where you are in life and how you got where you are. We might make bold resolutions but have not taken the time to realize the journey to where we are.
• Make it small steps that lead to mighty leaps. You can’t just go out and conquer your mountains without preparing yourself. Allow the vision of what you want to do emerge and plan it out for the year and not the day.
• Create and acknowledge markers so you know you are on the right track. Don’t just put a linear A to B path. What are the steps between A that allows you to make it to B.
• Seek out champions and enablers, those individuals who will support your journey. It is not a lone path you walk and while there will be noise from those around you who will tell you what to do, instead, seek out those you need who will activate your voice so you can realize your year.
• Make it about you. It is your year and you ultimately decide how it goes. We can waste a lot of energy on people, situations and things that are beyond our control. You choose how to react to a situation so don’t let anyone else dictate how you will respond to a negative situation.

Make 2019 about you and move forward with confidence. Celebrate your successes and understand your setbacks. Embrace your uniqueness and if you don’t feel unique, make this the year you understand what makes you unique. Know that if you are reading this, you are valued and appreciated. Many of you hold a piece of a jigsaw puzzle and I want to remind you that if you have a piece, my puzzle is incomplete without you. I need you. If you don’t have a puzzle piece, you need one. See you next year!