New Year, NEW YOU (ugh!)

We’re on the cusp, the precipice, the edge of a new year and if that’s not dramatic enough for you, we’re starting a new DECADE!  Time to make those long-needed resolutions, since a new year is a new beginning, right?  Sorry, but I’ve never been a new year’s resolution type of gal, although if it works for you, that’s great.  To me, the calender really has nothing to do with making changes or alterations in your life; for me, it’s usually about a mid-year mess or a first quarter fiasco, or an autumnal re-assessment. In other words, the need to alter one’s course is rarely so convenient as to occur smack dab on January 1, unless you’re not that serious about your issues or you are a big, fat procrastinator.  Plus, drunken or hangover-induced life decisions are rarely coherent or remembered on January 2, which results in the consumption of a cheeseburger and fries and a pitcher or two, of beer …. or maybe that’s just my personal experience.

The ability to commit to life changes when they’re needed is a valuable skill, that most of us take our sweet time developing.  It could be cultural; we tend to be reactive, rather than proactive, in this country.   Let’s look at it differently; rather than relying on the calender for a life reset, listen to yourself, all year long .  I am a bit of a ‘drifter’ when I drive, mainly because I spend a lot of time looking around at more interesting stuff than asphalt.  When you drift over onto the shoulder you hit the “zipper”, which is that strip of bumps or grooves, that immediately alert you via noise and tire chatter, that you are no longer between the lines.  So, pay attention to the “zippers” in your life:  conflict, health issues, unhappiness, money worries, or just a general feeling of ‘somethin’ ain’t right’.  Identify the problem and begin to get back inside the lines; be proactive all year long, rather than putting it off until “the New Year”.

I know, kind of preachy and annoying on a day of celebration.  Next year, I’ll try and do better.

Happy New Year!  Welcome 2010.