Is It Really 2010?
Here we are – another year has passed and we are venturing into the New Year, and unbelievably it is 2010. As I contemplate on what I want for 2010, I am very aware of how 2009 seemed to evaporate before my eyes. Yes, there were significant moments in 2009 when time might have slowed down a bit. But as I look back over the year, it also seems like a blur. So much can happen in those moments, yet time continues to tick away and we move forward, whether we want to leave the moment or not.
Perhaps, due to the difficult economic times or hardships that you encountered, you are ready to close the chapter on 2009 and move into a fresh chapter. It has been a hard year for many people and maybe you were lucky enough not to feel the pains terribly. But even the impending doom that kind of hangs over everyone when the media reports the bleak outlook is uncomfortable and takes energy to ward it off so starting a fresh year can be appealing. If you were one of those in the throes of the difficult times, then perhaps you will take some moments this New Year to give gratitude for the passing of 2009. And while you are giving gratitude for it being over, pay attention to the fact that “this too did pass”. You may not be out of the woods yet with the economy or the pain that you encountered in 2009, but there is some reprieve in realizing that you will not remain eternally in this state as life is an ever-changing state, whether you feel like you have the energy to pass through it or not.
And as the years seem to fly by, it is good to remember how time is so relative. I have talked about this many times in therapy as clients re-evaluate their lives and what they dreamed to be doing but maybe haven’t taken the step in risking drastic changes. Time passes so we might just as well be doing what we want to do. In a moment, time has passed and you can soon be doing what you want to be doing.
I remember being told that time was relative when I was contemplating going to school to do what I am now doing. I was married with three young children. The idea of me going to school for six consecutive years, full-time, with so many priorities on my plate, was not supported by many around me. Yet I knew I had to do this and we all managed. Six years seemed like a very large mountain to climb, but really passed by so quickly that I was never sorry or disappointed in my decision. My decision gave me the opportunity to be a better wife, mother and overall a better person because I was happy in what I was doing and sharing my potential and gifts with the world.
Perhaps this is what you want to think about as 2010 enters. Look at that bucket list of things you always wanted to do and consider if 2010 is the year to make it happen. Or dig deep inside and really spend some time listening to yourself and the inner nudging that you might have had over the years to do something that was important to you, part of your development, and could be your contribution to the world. It may be that you aren’t sure what you need to be doing, but you know you need to be doing something differently. As the New Year enters, I would encourage you to be conscientious about what you want this year to be for you. Nothing will happen if you don’t make the decision to make it happen. And to make it happen, you have to know where you want to go.
As you make your New Year’s resolutions, consider some of these ideas and set up the action plan to start it in motion. Without a plan it is merely daydreaming about what if you could . . . If you think you might want to go back to school, make an appointment with the school counselor to look at your options. If you really want to get healthy in your lifestyle, then hire a personal trainer to get you started and make yourself be accountable to someone to ensure you start to develop a habit of working out. Take a cooking class to learn more about nutrition, healthy cooking, and better eating choices. Make an appointment with your doctor to help you to stop smoking. If you aren’t sure what you need to do, but there is a nudging that is unsettling, consider setting up an appointment for counseling to explore what changes you might need to make.
Set the goal and make sure you have a plan to begin immediately. Don’t delay – it is the time now. Then realize that with a goal comes many tiny steps towards reaching the goal. So allow for a year-long plan of action that may spill over into 2011 and 2012 – but start it in motion and the rest will happen. In a series of moments you will have walked many little steps towards your goal and you will reach that goal if you are moving forward, probably much quicker than you ever thought possible. And so from my heart to yours, may you have a New Year of furthering your potential and becoming all you can be!
Tags: do what you want to do - time is relative, time is relative
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Janie Pfeifer Watson
Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker
Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner- Janie Pfeifer Watson, LICSW, is the founder and director of Wholeness Healing Center, a mental health practice in Grand Island, Nebraska with remote sites in Broken Bow and Kearney. Her expertise encompasses a broad range of areas, including depression, anxiety, attachment and bonding, coaching, couples work, mindfulness, trauma, and grief. She views therapy as an opportunity to learn more about yourself as you step more into being your authentic self. From her perspective this is part of the spiritual journey; on this journey, she serves as a mirror for her clients as they get to know themselves—and, ultimately, to love themselves.
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