Starting the New Year Right—New Year, New Theme

"We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives ... not looking for flaws but for potential."-Ellen Goodman

A few years ago, I met someone who told me that she stopped making new year resolutions and instead focused on a theme for the year and set goals throughout the year (officially and unofficially). This to me seemed like such a fantastic idea and it's something I've adopted for myself. My theme for 2019 was "Becoming" and yes, I was influenced by Michelle Obama. I focused on becoming fully myself—and more into the woman I aspired to be. I spent a lot of my year reflecting, setting goals, getting into positions that I wanted for myself and travelling more (some may say too much)! Nevertheless, my goal was to do things that pushed me out of my comfort zone in 2019, and I definitely did just that. The things I thought were absolutes about myself were definitely challenged but I wouldn't change a thing!

Some of the things I've done this year:

1. Play "mas" in Caribana.

2. Model for a new black woman owned business called NTim8.

3. Joined the board of a nonprofit.

4. Completed a 3 minute wall-sit.

5. Went on my first cruise to Cuba and the Bahamas.

6. Learned to love again.

7. Launching my own LLC.

...and so much more!

However, I realized I had a hard time this year living in the moment and was constantly trying to address my flaws or figure out the next thing. As a result, my 2020 theme is "Live in the Moment". I want to spend 2020 not just checking things off my list but resting and just taking in the opportunities I have been afforded. I realize I can't just spend my life thinking about the next thing because I'll never be fully satisfied and that's no way to live!

So let's start 2020 right! I know I'm starting the new year by going to see the northern lights (hopefully) in Iceland for my birthday, so this will definitely be a test of me appreciating the moment. I'll let you know how I did at the end of 2020! For now though, here is a link to my worksheet so you can make your own theme/personal resolution for 2020.

Living in the moment in Tobago