It’s already the beginning of another year and I find myself wondering how much time will truly speed by as I “get older.” Mentally, I still feel a bit like a middle schooler on occasion. Physically, I feel strong and fabulous, except when an ache here and a muscle there let me know I’m not climbing any monkey bars in the foreseeable future.

As we journey into 2022, I find I’m excited to write again and the clouds seem to be parting (I’ll explain more about my journey in the coming weeks). I recently came across the musing from the beginning of last year and it still feels poignant as ever. So, I’ll refresh and repeat.

In case you missed it, it boils down to this: 

A new year is an opportunity for new hopes, goals, and dreams. To shake off the weight and frustrations of the previous year, let go of past hurts and wrongs that are no longer serving you, and look for the possibilities in this new energy and transition. When you create those new year goals, though, start small. One step at a time. Sure, you can dream up big goals. Just ferret out the little steps you’ll take to help you reach them.

This spring I want to reorganize my entire house. I’d like to improve and maximize storage and efficiency. I’m not going to lie – the idea is a bit daunting and I know I may be living in a tornado for a time as we pull things out here to improve there. The idea of the mess keeps me in the procrastination phase of the whole project – even though I know I’ll feel better once I’ve cleared out the stuff I don’t need or use. And then I can’t forget the ultimate goal of making the office (a room that – by the way – we actually never use for that purpose even though it’s got desks and supplies in it) into a snuggly place to read, watch a show, or an extra place for someone to lay their head when our home is bursting with company.

So, in the spirit of repeating, I ask myself…”What little steps can I take that will help me move towards my larger goal?”

Let’s start with one cupboard and pull out what needs to find a new home. Be it trash, recycling, or donation. One cupboard turns into two, then three, and before I know it, the laundry room is cleaned out and I feel excited and accomplished. Once everything is cleaned out it’s way easier to move what I want to keep around to their new homes. This progress makes me feel even better and more excited to create my new peaceful, snuggly space. 

When my mind settles into the new way of things, I get a little happy and relaxed at the same time. That feeling? Yeah, that’s what I want. And if I need to wade through a bit of “meh’ to get there…bite sized pieces is still where it’s at.

So, what are your goals? What little steps can you take to inspire you to achieve them? Is it possible you’ll set one goal only to find you blast past it?

Here’s a year full of exponential growth and fantastic achievements.