I woke up this morning feeling like it was the dawn of a new day.

Well, it WAS the dawn of a new day, literally. But something was different about it. I felt different.

I don’t really make resolutions; I’m more of a big believer in setting goals and starting each new year with a Plan.

Think about it: would you start on a road trip without a map or GPS? Without goals or some sort of plan for the year, how do you know where you’re going or what you’re going to accomplish?

To me, the New Year is a time for reflections; to look back on the past year. Did I accomplish what I wanted? Was there something I needed to improve on? Did I need to make a change? Where did I see myself in the next year?

Last year, I resolved to watch more sunsets. I was a strong starter, then trailed off…

When I was younger (and single and had only one dog and a 9-5 job) I would spend a significant amount of time (usually on New Year’s Eve itself) essentially saying goodbye to the past year and welcoming the new one. Now, of course, I don’t have the luxury of that time. It’s more of an ‘in the background” type of thing, in the back of my mind, with some pondering in my journal early in the mornings.

Several years ago, I read somewhere that at the first of the year, one should plan their time off ; otherwise, the year passes and suddenly you realize  the year has mostly gone by and you’ve not really done anything but work and go about the usual busyness of life.

It’s a sad but true fact that our tight schedules have forced us to plan our fun and have something to look forward to.

I just finished reading the book One Word That Will Change Your Life, by Dan Britton, Jimmy Page, and Jon Gordon. I saw the way I used to be in their words.

“There’s no question that it’s hard to break away from the busyness of life. It’s become the silent killer of our day.”

Earlier in January, I had made a list of my goals for the year. Just the simple act of writing down those goals always helps me make significant progress towards achievement, even if I never look at the goal again through the year. It was always sort of a fun exercise to review my goals at the end of the year and see where I was. Some years I do well, some not so well, depending on the circumstances happening in my life.

Sometimes I get discouraged, but I keep digging, because I believe God rewards those who persevere.

Over the last couple of years, I have really focused on trying to lead a more balanced life. To be present, to appreciate the small things (because they really are the big things), and to learn to embrace the emptiness rather than fill the time with manic activity.

I have always loved to read books, and a common thread of most of the people I admire who become really successful in their work and in life is that they always make time to read. I’m getting better at doing that.

Which led me to this book. Which has already made a profound difference.

“We set ‘to do’ goals instead of ‘to be’ goals.’

“Busyness is a disease that’s robbing us of life. It brings on stress and exhaustion, and it weights our hearts with anxiety so that we become numb and calloused to the most important things in life. Busyness throws us into survival mode and leaves no time for mission and meaning.”

Wow.  A truer statement has surely never been written.

This book spoke to me.

According to the proven process in this book, I should figure out just one simple word on which to would focus. It would become my ‘theme’ for the year.

As I went through the process outlined in the book to figure out what my word was, various words popped in my mind. But that was too easy, and too obvious.

And one thing I’ve learned in life is that the most obvious things are not usually where the answer lies. So I kept asking myself: What was holding me back from living my best life? What was keeping me from succeeding?

The answer was surprising. I realized I was already doing a lot of good things, a lot of the things I wanted to be doing.

The common factor that was holding me back in achieving the level of success I wanted was that I wasn’t doing them consistently. I would allow myself to get derailed from my vision or become influenced by other factors for one reason or another. I struggled with consistence.

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you already know that. 😀

If I want to lose my last 20 pounds, I need to eat healthy consistently.

If I want to lead a more active life, I need to be more active consistently.

If I want to reduce the external forces that bring me down, I need to monitor my exposure to negativity consistently.

If I want to be more successful in my work, I need to be working at it consistently.

If I want to lead a better life and find more joy in the small things, I need to embrace and appreciate the little things consistently.

Clearly, my word for 2014 is Consistence.

Isn’t it interesting what a difference one little word makes?

What kind of year will I have if I live a life of consistency? Time will tell…about 11 months, to be exact! 😀