Forget New Year’s

Forget New Year’s resolutions—I say spring is where it’s at. Why? Because, that’s when everything truly begins...

Sleepy trees are smiling, awakening to find they’ve sprouted brand new buds. Seeds that silently germanated throughout the winter, are now starting to break through even the toughest ground. Everything gets a new chance—everything begins anew. So, that means we can too.

Resolve to solve.

Take stock.

What goals did you accomplish in the last six months? Did you even set any? If not, now is the perfect time to pick up a journal—a special one that you purposely picked out for this day—and then, just sit back with your thoughts. Breathe in the fresh spring air, let it relax you. No, seriously, breathe it in.

Nice and slow.

Feel your surroundings with all of your senses; use your eyes to see the beauty in the sky, the earth, the water. That big, blue sky way up there, with all those white, floating clouds is infinite, you know? Think about that.

Lift up your nose to search out any scents floating in the breeze. Can you smell the rain? Can you smell the warmth of the sun? Good, now run your hands along the bark of a tree, or sift the sand through your fingers, watching it sprinkle to the ground.

Feel it real.

And then, dream.

I like to get random first, writing down anything and everything. I even doodle pictures. I might draw a bird or a flower to get started—or one of those barns where you’re not allowed to lift the pen from the paper.... I know you know what I’m talking about.

Anyway, it doesn’t matter what approach you take, just take one. If you can’t draw, picture a scene; walking along a white-sand, beach, collecting sea shells. As long as you’re creating, you’re living.

Now, you can think about what you’re grateful for. This one thing, right here, is a biggie, because it can show you the tiniest detail about what makes you happy. We all know happiness comes from within, so by finding out what you’re truly grateful for, may just enlighten you.

What makes you tick? This is the time to really dig deep, finding out what might be missing—-something you can’t quite put your finger on.

Yet.

I’ll give you a hint, it’s goals.

We can all feel empty at times, and when we can find out what gives us drive, then the goals can be set. We need those goals, they can be lifesavers, in a sense—keeping us motivated.

Would you want to quit smoking? Well, that’s definitely a great goal to have. You can write down a list of all the reasons why that woukd be a good idea: health, cost, and smell, are just a few. One year of not smoking can save you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

Trust me I know.

How about writing a book? I know I’d like to one day. Together, we could join a community writing club on Facebook, or Google up some online courses that are flexible with our demanding schedules of procrastinating. Ha! Just kidding, that might be me, but it’s definitely not you.

Ah, spring, so many things we can do with you.

Another good one, is making amends with any person you might have wronged in the past. Going through life, knowing we may have hurt someone is damaging to both parties. We carry the guilt, and they carry the pain. By releasing it in our journal first, it might help us with courage to do it face to face.

We can also choose to forgive someone who hurt us, too. This journal can be used to write ourselves an apology as well.

Let’s call it “spring-cleaning” our baggage.

The spring journal for focus, resolutions, solutions, and creativity is just one of many ideas. I truly believe we all need a venting tool, and spring is the perfect time for it.

We must take care, and plant the seeds of our future.