For the love of Joy

Wow, it's already a new year! How did that happen? As we get older, it seems that time goes by faster, so it's even more important to enjoy the present moment and not just look forward to achieving the goals we set for ourselves.

New Year's resolutions often involve setting unrealistic diet and fitness goals and making too many plans that are hard to follow through on. I am no stranger to this. I love setting goals, trying new things, and getting obsessed with new hobbies, but then I get bored and move on to something else. It's no wonder that gyms are busiest in January and February, and then the crowds taper off as only people who have made it an enjoyable habit continue to go. I tend to beat myself up a little bit, thinking about all the reasons I should keep doing something even if I'm not fully enjoying it.

I'm learning that life and interests come in waves and change with the seasons. In the summer, I love going to the beach and spending as much time as I can outdoors. In the winter months, I enjoy playing volleyball, sleeping in and reading in bed, cozy movie nights, and playing in the snow if we're lucky.

This year, I'm trying something new. Instead of setting big goals to start something and getting really intense about doing it all the time, I want to do it as long as it's fun and brings me joy. I'd like to move into the new year fully accepting that life comes in waves, and just because I'm excited about something now doesn't mean I'll still be thrilled about it in June. And that's okay.

I currently enjoy learning and playing the guitar, and I'm aware that this is my fifth attempt at learning. I fall off the guitar wagon, and at some point later, I feel compelled to start again. Perhaps the fifth time will be the charm and I'll stick with it for good? Probably not, and I'm okay with that.

I love the water, and my mom used to call me her little fish because I rarely came out of the water when we went to the beach or pool. I've started swimming more, at our indoor pool and in the outdoor cold water ocean. I'm working towards going for a cold water snorkel adventure! (Our ocean is currently 7.3C/45F, so even in a wet suit, I'm not sure how long I'll last in the water.) While it's fun, I allow myself to go swimming as long as it brings me joy. If at some point the joy and fun of swimming feels like work, I'm happily prepared to hit the pause button and do something else that energizes me. It's perfectly acceptable to not do everything we love all the time. If I did that, I would never sleep! Although sleeping brings me tremendous joy too.

What a gorgeous day to go for an ocean dip!

This year's resolution is more about “feeling states” than tangible things to achieve. My keywords are easefulness and joy. Whatever makes my days more easeful and joyful is what I'll do.

Did you make any New Year's resolutions or set goals that you'd like to achieve? As a life coach, I help my clients with this exact thing. We don't just blindly set goals and then fail to achieve them. We turn inward and tap into the inherent knowledge that people have about the meaning and purpose of their life. We rediscover what your true nature is all about, and then create tiny steps towards a life that you love wholeheartedly, one that is aligned with your body, mind, soul, and spirit. My invitation to you is to have a coaching conversation with me and experience for yourself how powerful and immediately life-changing it can be.