Beth's Ponderings
Here we are at the
beginning (according to our calendars) of a brand new year. 12 brand new months, 52 new weeks, 365 new
days, with endless possibilities and opportunities, stretch out before us.
At this point, 2021
is a blank slate just waiting to be filled.
Now some people are
fans of New Year’s resolutions (whether they keep them is a whole other
situation) and have them all made and ready to go as soon as the 1st arrives.
Other people prefer
to pick a “word of the year” to guide them as they journey through the year. The word can reflect a characteristic they
want to embody more, or something they feel they need to bring more of into
their lives.
Some folks take out
their calendars and make plans for every month and week. They like to have their lives completely
mapped out ahead of time. (I personally don’t understand these folks, but still
love them anyway).
There are as many
ways to approach this new year as there are people in the world, as none of us
do the same thing.
What I found to be
most effective for me - which I stumbled upon last year - is approaching life
like it is an experiment. So while I do
have some firm plans in place (ie the Chautauqua publishing schedule, health-related
appointments, and my weekly Zoom meeting with my two buddies in Australia), and
1 main focus for each week (ie a task that I want to complete), I wake up each
morning open to whatever comes up, and whatever I get done.
Some days I get
more done than I expected, and some days end up going in a completely different
direction than I hoped or expected, but I don’t get bent our of shape or upset (other
than the first few seconds reaction), because it’s all an experiment. And we all know that not every experiment
works out, so you just start over and try again.
By treating your life as an experiment, you stay curious and open to more possibilities when they arrive. May 2021 be your best year yet!
Beth
Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ph_ZQon6dzE0bTbTFNnJV-BLgVZrT2lU/view?usp=sharing
