Bringing in the New Year with the Rules of St. Benedict
I always begin a new year with a set of heart centered life “aspirations” to accomplish over the next twelve months. These are goals and experiences to challenge and enrich my life. Instead of resolutions, I define a “mindset” theme to remind and push me towards my goals. It is the big idea for the year. This year’s centering mindset theme is freedom. In the new year, I will work on freeing up more ways to bring serenity, growth and new experiences into daily living. With a freedom mindset , I can work harder to open more creative space into my day and set up the necessary conditions to be successful. It also means changing or freeing myself from a few habits that typically hold me back. When setting your goals, be honest about the areas where growth opportunities truly exist. You want to strive to accomplish things which are meaningful and stretch you into new areas.
The start of a new year is a wonderful reminder that we should always strive to become better and look for new ways to bring happiness into our lives. To do that, try to keep a growth mindset focused on the “bigger” future you want to create. Don’t focus on the past or you’ll get stuck there living the same year all over again. The below quote from Dan Sullivan is one of my favorites. Discover exciting ways to learn and do things that are unfamiliar. Try experiences never done before. With honest reflection, you’ll find great ways to really challenge yourself and step out of your comfort zone. Tracking progress, including even the smallest steps taken towards reaching your new year aspirations will help ensure your success.
Below is my new year theme and the conditions (or steps) I am creating to be successful.
To maintain a freedom mindset to bring forward more growth opportunities, serenity and happy life experiences into my day
Striving to center on:
1. Healthy time management
2. Learn and grow my love of classical literature
3. Journal daily (keep track of gains year over year)
4. Fitness & health (free up time; keep health habits)
5. Complete one new experience a month never done before (outside of my comfort zone)
New Things Ahead:
1. Grow Reading Life (become an expert on J.R.R.Tolkein; increase reading goal to 50 books)
2. Pick up painting
3. Put a sight-seeing list together of places I have never been
4. Study the practice of centering prayer (I am fascinated by St. Benedict’s 12 Steps in Humility)
May God’s blessings fill your life with health and happiness.
