Good News For The New Year

Were you ever given the task of erasing the chalkboards at school?  I loved it when my teacher asked me to do this…erasing away the day’s work in order to set the stage for a fresh start the next day.

The New Year often symbolizes a new beginning…a fresh start…a clean slate.

Confession: I’m not a big fan of January 1.  I don’t like the weight that one-single-day in our calendar holds.  So many people put all their hope of making life-altering changes beginning that day, and if/when they “fail” – which the majority that make New Year’s resolutions do – it feels EPIC.

Imagine if our teachers told us on the first day of school that what we put on the chalkboard the first day was it.  If you did a math problem, did your best to work it out on the board, but got it wrong–that was it.  Fail!  No more chances.

I think March 17th, June 3, August 29, and October 11th all hold just as much possibility and hope as January 1.  The reality is…there are 365 perfect days of opportunity…for ALL of us.

Whether you’ve made New Year’s resolutions this year, or not, I want you to remember that your life is like one big chalkboard.  There’s plenty of room for creating, learning, growing, failing, succeeding, pivoting, and making choices.

There’s one thing for certain, we’ll all experience success and failure.  It’s not only what we learn from these successes and failures, it’s what we do with them.

It takes momentum and perseverance, and in this big, busy, complicated world, there are lots of distractions and hurdles that pop up and threaten to throw us off course.

In an effort to help you handle the distractions and clear the hurdles, I’m going to be taking the first Saturday of each month in 2016 to address a common problem or roadblock many people struggle with.  Each post will identify the problem and present solutions to overcome.

Here’s the list of topics/areas of focus I’m thinking of covering.  As you read through the list, think about which you’d best like to see featured  on my blog.

Forgiveness.
Stress.
The importance of self love.
Humility.
Getting out of your own way.
Dealing with strained relationships.
Fear.
Time management.
Addiction.
Jealousy.
Learning to trust and/or to be trusted again.
Shame.
Emotional overwhelm.
Depression.
Worry.
Control issues.
Why you deserve to be happy.
Handling failure and mistakes.
Perspective.
Healthy communication techniques.

Here’s your part:  Please, please, please share your thoughts and ideas with me.  Which of these topics would serve you best?  Is there something you’d like to add?

Leave your comments below, on Facebook, via Twitter, DM me, or send me a private email (jillgottenstrater@gmail.com).

I really appreciate your feedback, as it helps me to write about what will benefit you most.

Thank you, friends!  Here’s to an awesome New Year (all 365 days of it)!

Jill xx