It is 11:45 p.m. on December 31, 1982; the anticipation is building as Mom cranks up the volume on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. The table is scattered with assorted hors d`oeuvres, Baked Alaskas, holiday cookies and champagne.
We have our tattered pots and wooden spoons out and ready for our traditional alert to the neighborhood as the clock nears the breaking point of midnight. Our momentary outdoor raucous only lasts a minimum of ten minutes as we laugh and frolic back inside to the warmth and glow of the fireplace. Being this is the only night, once every year, my brother and I are allowed to stay up late and enjoy festivities, we savor the celebration.
The holiday leftovers remain in the fridge and the sparkling lights proudly hang from the outside eves, with a sense of better days to come. These sentiments live within other hopeful souls like me, as with the arrival of every New Year there is a need to reset, which has never left my hopeless soul.
Do you automatically crave new beginnings once the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve?
I long for change and the hope of new opportunities, declaring realistic resolutions for the New Year and beyond, but realizing I waited until the end of the year to make life-changing decisions. For the past few years, I started a new tradition and wait no longer to practice mindful resolutions.
Why am I waiting until the end of the year to execute positive changes in my life?
Do this instead…
Re-evaluate your life every couple months
There are no rules when it comes to making changes to upgrade your life. They can be small or life-changing – We have the power to change our direction, create productive habits and throw our bad habits to the curb.
Ask yourself what changes you would like to see in your life
While there are numerous ways to live a better life, start with asking yourself specific questions.
Am I happy with my work?
Are my relationships healthy for me?
When was the last time I scheduled an appointment with my doctor?
Do I need to be more consistent with my work, writing, projects, art, walks, communication, reading (whatever helps makes you whole)?
Do I practice a healthy work/life balance?
Do I practice healthy eating?
Am I drinking too much?
When was the last time I volunteered or offered to lend a helping hand to someone in need?
Are there any regrets I have in this life – if so, I should make changes now while I still can.
How is my mental health? Do I choose peace in my life?
You get the idea. There are numerous areas within our unique lives that can bring us more peace, happiness and gratitude.
Being a full-time writer, I need to make changes in my life in order to practice a healthier work/life balance. I tend to spend hours in my writing cave as it is my happy place, but my lack of self-love and socializing on occasion is an ugly commonality. If I were provided the option to be a hermit, writing my days away in some far off cabin on a mountain top, I would probably jump at the opportunity.
Reset. Re-evaluate. Refresh.
Change can be extraordinary. Why wait until the beginning of a new year, when you can begin your positive direction now?
We can all learn to be happier and reduce our stress. You are never stuck. Stop waiting for the New Year to arrive to make transformative resolutions. Do it now while you still have the chance.
I left a dead-end job in cubicle city to become a writer; a dream I had since I was seven-years-old. Taking a stand and making the change was one of the best decisions I ever made. There were struggles, but having a plan and being persistent was key to reaching my goal.
Although the life of an author still fills me with challenges and questions, I am learning. I am discovering and meeting interesting and supportive people along this journey.
Jump off the safe train and believe enough in yourself to take the first step.
Reset. Re-evaluate. Refresh.
Maybe I do hold the dreams of a gypsy with a sense of remarkable new beginnings that will always appear in my playbook.
You have one life, don’t waste it.