So it’s February 5 already, and to use a baseball analogy I feel like I’ve skidded past first base (January) and am sliding my way toward second all too ungracefully, haphazardly. There’s big momentum, but I want to dig my heels in, brush off, stop.
I’ve learned in previous years that it’s important for me to find time early in January to “complete” the old year and prepare for the new—to clean, organize, reflect on what’s passed, set goals for what’s to come. I even made a reservation to take a short retreat away from my family in mid-January, to do just that. But life happened—my husband needed to travel twice on business trips, and I needed to stay home with our daughter. Along the way were dentist and doctor appointments, PTA and other meetings, my husband’s and mother’s birthday, rehearsals for the Chinese New Year Parade (our family’s going to be in it, representing our daughter’s school), and a volunteer project for said parade. Not to mention preparing my taxes, keeping up with my seminary schoolwork, and my usual work schedule. And that book proposal I’ve been wanting to complete? Maybe in February…
So when February 1 rolled around I felt a little despondent—how to clear the decks so I can figure out where I’m going in the next 12 (oh yeah, make that 11) months? Here’s what I’ve done so far, which has made me feel a little less direction-less:
1. I gave myself a word for the year, to use as a touchstone—something I want to experience more of. Just a single word to reflect on, to apply to different areas of my life. It helps. And actually writing that word on a small rock that you can keep before you—making a literal “touchstone”—can be meaningful as well.
2. I also played with a motto for the year. At first it was “Everything’s Divine in 2009.” Now it’s “Rise and Shine in 2009.” A little cutesy, I know, but still helpful for keeping a particular intention before me.
3. Because I haven’t yet had the time to really map out goals for all the different areas of my life, I just took four major aspects of living—body, mind, spirit, and heart—and created goals for each of those categories. Sometimes less is more; and coming up with four goals in these foundational arenas made me realize that even if I never get around to creating more goals, I will look back with satisfaction at the end of the year if I am able to accomplish just these. Then I took it one step farther—if I can only accomplish one goal this year, what’s the one that will make me feel the most satisfied? Having prioritized, knowing what that #1 goal is, gives a clarity to my still-feeling-chaotic life.
I still hope for a time-out soon; to have a private retreat at my beloved Mercy Center, where I can be in the silence for two days and nights and re-fill. Until then, taking the steps above has helped. What do you do at the beginning of the year to set your course, especially when time is stretched thin?
