It happens so easily; getting stuck in a rut. A holding pattern of the same habits and actions that keep us in the same place. Not completely ground to a halt, but moving far too slowly to be gaining any proper ground. Comfortable perhaps, but boring, and unsatisfying.

When we intend to spend quality time with someone, the quality of that time is not measured by the amount of information or the depth of communication. It’s about passing the time together, and sharing what feels natural, in the moment. Connecting, through silence.

This year consider going for less… but growing more.
To focus (depth) on fewer things (less), in the interests of better results (growth).

The last days of the year bring both the sense of an ending, and the possibility of a beginning. I find myself looking back at the year as a whole, almost in a summarized form. I’m aware of the main things I found difficult (changes in my business, the declining health of a cherished family member), and then the things that brought joy (changes in my business, family holidays, time together with loved ones).

Sudden change can leave us reeling. It pulls us right out of our comfort zone, and can make the world around us feel frightening, and even hostile. Change is often the result of a build-up of small things, or a series of little events, that add up to one big decision that needs to be made.

Each of us have a number of balls in the air – some of them light and brightly colored, others dull and surprisingly heavy, and others still that are just downright slippery; causing us to sometimes drop the whole lot.

Life can present us with some pretty significant wake up calls. Events that jolt us, or force us to pause, knocking us right off that hamster wheel that seemed to be so important.

 Our day-to-day cares fade away in the face of the finality of death. Small worries are just that, and it is a privilege to be confronted with them, and have the opportunity to find solutions. Big worries have their place too, and the chance to navigate the challenges they present us with allow us to grow, if we remember to look at them that way.

 Who says that once you have made your bed, you have to lie in it always? What if you lie in it for just a bit, and realize that it’s not quite the way you want it, and you choose to make it again? In fact, you get to make it again every day… and by degrees, you can make it just the way you want it.

There’s something to be said for creating the right environment to achieve a goal in. Setting up your stage can set you up for success. You can create your own precursors to the actual performance, so that it’s easier to begin.

There is incredible energy involved in beginning something brand new. The proverbial blank page, waiting to be filled…. the pressure to fill it beautifully leads to untold self-induced distractions.

The list of reasons to delay beginning can be endless.

The Pursuit of Perfection can be Paralyzing. Taking action takes energy, and if you put too many new rules in place at once, they can be overwhelming.
 It’s far more achievable to “do better” in your life in increments.