Here we go! … Again! Another trip around the sun!

It is 2026!

One month is done and dusted – and the new year’s celebrations are firmly in the rear-view mirror.

The new year is in full swing!

Everything has started back up again. People have gone back to work, the school year has started, I see people running and I would probably see lots of people at the Gym- if I had gone by now lol!

I’m still threatening to… hahaha!

But let’s get serious for a minute

and talk about the start of yet another new year- and what that means

For me, I would have to start by remembering last year. The year started off great! And then it took a turn that I did not anticipate or appreciate! At the time I should say…

In many ways I am still recovering from it – and at the same time I think it was the year that has finally taught me some fundamental truths.

We’ll dive into it more, but in a nutshell, for me it will always be the year that I realized -that saying: ‘Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results’ is so very true!

Let’s generalize a year for a moment here.

The clock strikes twelve on the last day of the year, the old year finally retired! handing the weight or bliss I guess, of its memories to the clean slate of the new year.

We celebrate!

In that moment we forget about whether it was a good year or a bad year or a mix off the two. We are somehow just happy to be fortunate enough to see the beginning of yet another new year.

And it really is a clean slate in so many ways…

As humans I think we possess a certain level of resilience that really allows us to forget about it!

To bury the hatchet!

The past is in the past, we say! Let’s look to the future!

And just try again!

And somehow the excitement infuses us with new faith, hope and optimism! We feel ready – and eager! We convince ourselves that we can do this! This will be the year I finally get it together!

Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve – Napoleon Hill

We make new years resolutions! We write them down- all our goals for the new year… I mean!

Things we would like to achieve this year. The changes we would love to make, that in most cases are probably way overdue! We make vision boards and we commit to changing our daily habits, routines and rituals so that it aligns with what we would like to achieve – all the things we think would make us happy!

And it probably will!

(Unless it’s misguided or inauthentic, that is! – But let’s open that can of worms in another blog post)

Because if you’re contemplating these things day in and day out! And okay, some days we’re just too busy – and we shelve it for a few days, but silently one night, it’s back!

That dream! That desire for something else or something you just haven’t been able to achieve yet.

A project that’s just sitting there! You haven’t even touched it in months!

If you’re thinking it and feeling it!

And it won’t leave you alone! Or in other words, if you can hold the vision in your heart and mind! It can only be described as

A desire!

I like to think of them as a clue to a treasure hunt; Only the desire shows you a possibility that could be realized – or a version of you or your life that is calling you forward, like a lighthouse in the night sky.

A desire to better yourself, a desire to find your true calling, a desire to change, a desire to finally lose the weight, to exercise! Because it’s good for you! To quit the job, go after your dream job, start the business, go back to school, get out of the relationship – the one you haven’t been happy in for a long time!

To get into a relationship, because you’ve been alone for long enough and you’re willing to open your heart again!

Finally be open to seek out help to deal with a longstanding problem- and set boundaries and stop doing things to please others and hurt yourself in the process. Learn to play an instrument or even learn a new language.

We really could go on and on here…

The beginning of new year is a wonderful time for us to expose these, in many cases, well kept secrets (desires) and call them new year’s resolutions

But I want to us to explore what happens once the excitement of the new year wears off?

Once reality comes right up to our noses and insists on being dealt with! When life gets busy.

When doubt sets in…

When the comfort zone becomes oh so very comfortable

Don’t confuse comfort with happiness – Dean Karnazes

And we realize just what it would take to chase those dreams

Rocking the boat seems crazy! – And scary!

I think! or let me say; from experience I’ve learnt that we do two things.

We go back to what we have always done!

Because it is just easier that way…

But we do think or hope, that somehow those dreams, desires or goals can still materialize, just because we wrote them down as goals or made a vision board etc.

And in some cases, we put in a little effort, working toward those goals- just enough to convince ourselves that we’re actually working on it

I have found myself there too many times before! The beginning of last year was no exception!

Over the past few years I have learnt and grown so much, I honestly thought I was ready to live life my way!

I had a vison! One I am still very much set on, because it’s me! It flows with who I am and my rhythm – but my old habits took over like muscle memory- and led me down a road we have travelled too many times before

I researched that famous saying (I mentioned above) They say people think Albert Einstein said it, but apparently not! An author, Rita Mae Brown used it in her 1983 novel Sudden Death – and the phrase gained popularity through its use in Narcotics Anonymous (NA)

The latter is the one I would like to focus on.

Because it focuses on habits!

And that is the rub!

It’s our habits- the very things we do every single day, that determines where we land.

So, I went back to the drawing board because I wanted to know why that happened – and why I feel like I was in many ways such a willing participant.

Even though I am right smack in the middle on reinventing myself!

Here’s the thing!

This instruction has been there since the beginning of time. It is in the Bible (the oldest book) many Spiritual leaders and Mindset coaches etc; will tell you the same thing.

BE – DO – HAVE

Is the recipe

Real change starts on the inside! You have to first renew your mind, become a new version of yourself in your mind first!

Yes, I think we’ve all heard this in one form or another by now – so what’s next?

I spoke about having a vision for yourself or your life- a desire!

You know who you want to be, you know what you want your life to look like.

This is where we come back to habits

Let’s say last night you decided that’s it! I am done with that version of me and with putting up or living a life that is just not for me.

The very next thing you do has to be different from what you’ve bee doing!

Don’t live the same year 75 times and call it a life – Robin Sharma

So, you have to ask yourself- if I look at the person I want to be or the life I want to live- how would that person move?

How would that person speak? What would that person do? Daily? How would that person dress? What are the core values of that person? How does that person want to treat others and be treated by others?

You have to mentally break it all down – And then…

be and do all of that!

This is what I learnt last year, when I wanted to embark on a new journey – and bring to life a new version of me – but I allowed old habits to maneuver me like a puppet.

But this is not a declaration of defeat! In no way! – at all!

It is a lesson learnt, on a really deep level. The very level you have to feel it on to make actual changes.

I feel like this makes it sound quite easy as well, but I will not advocate for spiritual bypassing or in plain terms, having issues and not dealing with them –

before you’re able to focus, in this way!

Because to have the level of control over your heart and mind that’s needed- there’s probably a lot of inner work to be done first- and I definitely want to write about that some more in future