Everything Old is New Again

Farewell 2008 and hello to a fresh new year! I don't want to get all corny and cliche' here, but I think most of us look at a new year as a bit of a fresh start. Only the most jaded and cynical among us can't find at least some tiny glimmer of hope in the arrival of a new year. Whether it's a chance to right old wrongs, an opportunity to tackle a new goal or the perfect time to conquer a fear or learn a new skill, it just starts to feel like those old excuses are just that -- old. Really, when you get right down to it, all those excuses you've been using are so last year. This is 2009! We don't have any baggage yet from this year. Why not leave it all behind? Who says you have to usher that into the new year with you? Like putting away the holiday decorations, I think it's time for me to put away my petty complaints, my sorry excuses for why I didn't accomplish certain things, any bad/sad/mad feelings I may be harboring and just wipe the slate clean.

There's something about 2009 that just seems to be full of promise for me. I've been feeling that way for a while and recently I read my horoscope in three different places that all said the same thing - 2009 is going to be your year, a joyful year. Whether you believe in that or not, I've certainly heard of worse philosophies to adopt! If the planets are in favor of my having a great year, who am I to object?

2008 was a fairly uneventful year for me. I found myself laying low, doing a lot of thinking and reflecting. There was dreaming and scheming, but not a lot of action. Around September, I decided it was time to stop feeling bad about that and just accept that I was in a planning year, not a doing year. I gave myself permission to take things slow and find my way and there was always this sense that January was going to be a fresh start for me in many ways - not just a new year, but a new philosophy, new goals, a new mission.

I'm sure it helped that I will turn 40 in February. At first, there was the inevitable sense of foreboding and dread. But I let go of that and decided to embrace the milestone instead. There is so much I want to accomplish and what better time than the start of a new decade in my life? I've decided the best way to welcome it is with open arms.

So enough about what was and how I got here. Without further ado, I give you my hopes and dreams (some of them quite ambitious) for 2009, the year I'll turn 40, the year I feel will be joyful and full of accomplishment.

-Get in the best shape I've been in since college. This includes regular exercise, eating right, keeping stress at bay and putting myself higher on my priority list.

-Travel somewhere wonderful with Steve for our 40th birthdays (his is in September). Have regular "dates" with him throughout the year, too. I am blessed with a strong marriage and I don't ever want to take that for granted.

-Write, write, write. Maintain my recently neglected blog, journal regularly, pursue freelance opportunities, dabble in fiction again. Stop putting it off (perhaps out of fear of the unknown??) and get going!

-Continue to reconnect with old friends and further strengthen existing friendships. Make time for myself and for friends as important as time for family (because it is if I hope to have a well-balanced life).

-Stay connected to my daughters during these pre-teen and teen years (they turn 11 and 13 this year). Find that incredibly important (yet always challenging) balance between being a protector, a guiding influence and a sounding board.

-Keep my cool under pressure and make a peaceful existence a priority in my daily life. Limit situations that will likely lead to stress whenever possible.

-Fill my time with activities that have meaning for me and/or relate to my passions (writing, photography, being out in nature, biking, spending time with the people I love) and minimize activities that drain my energy or stifle my passions. Those things I must do (like cleaning, laundry, etc) need to be done quickly and efficiently so I can get on to the things that fill me up emotionally and mentally.

-Don't sweat the small stuff.

-Post these goals and read them often.

As we like to say to Theo, "That's the plan, Stan!" Lofty goals, perhaps, but nothing great is ever accomplished by aiming low.

What are your dreams for 2009?