Bon Annee

I believe making resolutions is a good thing.  I think they’re made even better by expanding them beyond the first week of January.

Sunnylands, Palm Springs CA, November 2023

Here’s what I mean: I have gone into many a new year resolution with gusto, enthusiasm, and the best of intentions.  Somewhere along about the fifth pound lost, the tenth mile walked, and the 187th glass of water, I lose interest.  Can you relate?

It’s not that I made the wrong resolutions or that my motives were not earnest.  The problem was that I was going about making changes without purpose.  Losing weight, walking more, and hydrating are all worthy goals, to be sure.  What was missing, for me, was the why.  Why did I want to make these changes.  Were these even the changes I really wanted to make?  Could I dig a little deeper and get to the bottom of why I wanted to make changes in the first place?

Resolved: More Chandon Spritzes in 2024! Paris, September 2023

Rather than jot down a list of “things I should do this year”, I’ve given a lot of thought to the life I want to live.  I determined that what I want is to be more mindful of my resolutions this new year, and that those intentions be sustainable throughout the coming year.

For example, do I want to lose weight, be more active, drink more water?  Yes, of course, all those things.  But instead of counting calories and crossing my fingers whenever I get on the dreaded scale, I want to be clear on why I want to do this in the first place.

It gets down to how I want to live my life.  As in, I want to add to my traveling abroad and teaching schedule, which will be so much more enjoyable if I’m carting less of myself around.  I want to feel at home in my body, which has become somewhat alien to me.

Outside Edgar Degas’ House, New Orleans, LA, May 2023

So, I’ve resolved to make some gradual, but big, life-changing adjustments, not just because the calendar is flipping the page to a new year, but because I feel ready.  I feel energized by the intentions I’ve created for myself.  I feel grateful for this gift of clarity.

Any time is a good time, an awesome time, for resolving to begin anew, for attempting to turn things in a more positive direction.  Why not start at the beginning of the new year?  Or on February 21st?  The date matters not.  What matters is the whispers in my heart.  What matters is digging beyond the “things I should do this year” list and grappling with why I think these things should be done.

This bit of inner excavation has been good for me.  It’s fired me up!  With a new sense of purpose, I have confidence in my resolve to make impactful and positive changes in my life.  Now, rather than feeling like drudgery, my resolutions make me excited!  I can’t wait to see how the year unfolds for me and what I’m able to manifest.

Soul sisters, Monterey, CA, October 2023

My wish for each of you is that as you embark on the new year, you are blessed with resolutions full of purpose, good health, many friends, and peace in your heart.

Bon annee, mes amis!