We are a week into January – how’s it going? This first week of January is commonly one of the most depressing weeks of the year for many. The presents are opened, the family has left, we over-ate and we need to go back to work. On top of that, we’ve already blown our New Year’s resolutions. If this is you don’t despair! You have the entire year to create new tracks in your life.
The month of January got its name from the Roman god Janus. In ancient Roman mythology, Janus was the god of gates and doors. Janus held the key to the gateway between what was and what is to come. That fine precipice between transitioning out of one space and into something new. He is depicted as a two-faced man, one facing toward the past and the other towards the future.
As we prepare for 2022 and our New Year’s resolutions, it’s important we look in three different directions. Facing yesterday, facing tomorrow, and facing today.
Facing yesterday. You can’t successfully move forward if you don’t know where you are. You can start by doing a review of 2021. I start by going through my calendar and writing down what I’ve done that’s new, different, or memorable. Then add to that. How were your important relationships? Are you living or surviving? Even though we may wish it were true, the New Year doesn’t magically start with a brand new you – it follows yesterday. The same old you that went to bed last night is the one that woke up this morning. And, while the past is important, we don’t want to stay there we want to keep going.
Facing tomorrow. We want to start our new year looking forward. Excited in anticipation of the year we will create next. Focus on where you are going, not where you have been. Without being too specific, how would you like to improve your life? Have more energy? Improve your overall happiness? Create more intimate relationships?
Facing today. How you will create tomorrow becomes the next question. The answer – one step at a time! When you create your resolutions realize it is for the year, not just the first week, and give yourself some grace. Set goals that stretch yourself and are realistic and optimistic at the same time.
Take advantage of the power of this transitional month and the energy of the ancient Roman god Janus to move into this new year with powerful intention and focus.
Kelly Robbins, MA is the author of Trust Your Next Step: Creating the Confidence to Cut Fresh Tracks and produces the Fresh Tracks with Kelly Robbins podcast. Grab a copy of 10 Steps to Creating Your Fresh Tracks now for free here: https://kellyrobbins.net/theedge/