Happy New Year!  How ya doin’ with those resolutions so far?  There is so much hype and pressure around making huge life changes and setting goals starting January 1st that it’s easy to feel utterly defeated when we don’t succeed that first week, and therefore just give up. Yes, it is the beginning of a new calendar year, and there are no other holidays for a while, so the world likes to make this time far more momentous than I believe it deserves. After an intense holiday period of excess and socialization, it is unrealistic for you to turn on a dime and start things completely fresh, especially if they are habits that you’ve had for 20 or 30 years!  Change and growth do not happen overnight.

As we go through our lives there are various cycles that affect us, with many opportunities for new beginnings that occur in more authentic ways, and are further in line with where we are at in life at any given moment.  January is a particularly good time though to review the past year and to THINK about and understand the changes you want to make going forward – really get reflective and go inward to see what is out of balance, what direction you want to be going in and what small adjustments you want to make in your daily life to be more fulfilled.  True change can only happen after you’ve made an internal shift, and the inner work that you do is just as valuable as the external results you desire.

Nature and the planets are more in tune with our existence and can help guide us as well; the New and Full Moons and Eclipses throughout the year, the Lunar New Year (this year on Feb. 14th); the seasons (i.e. Spring and Autumnal Equinoxes), our individual birthday, which is our own personal New Year, and the sunrise each and every day are all good examples.  The important thing to remember is that life is a process.  Be true to who you are and take one day at a time knowing what is best for you and your goals – and don’t beat yourself up if you don’t make this first week or month the picture of perfection you envisioned on Dec. 31st. Setting a timeline and internal clock that is in harmony with YOU will be much more effective – and that will be something to celebrate at any time of the year!