After the Holidays...

Many experience a letdown after the intensity of the Christmas season. Presents are bought for those we love in a flurry of emotion and sometimes an insufficient amount of cash; events are attended where we all put on our best facade regardless of the issues we may be facing in our personal lives; we over commit our time on many fronts, leaving us drained with less energy for much needed personal reflection and inner rejuvenation.

As a writer with full time job commitments as well, out of necessity I’ve become an expert in squeaking out each minute of every day. After the essential details of life have been covered this allows me more time at the end of the day to linger over my writing, which I find necessary to connect to the creative process. This isn’t a sacrifice for me since writing is my passion. As a result, this focused time is invigorating, allowing for a more productive outcome.

With the New Year comes resolutions, and while I’m not a fan of these per se, I am going to commit to snatching more personal time for activities that bring personal joy. We all tend to fall into the trap of becoming mired in the sometimes useless clutter that fills our days. And we forget that this precious commodity called time cannot be replenished—it’s gone, never to return, once we use it every day. So I plan to forgo sleep on some occasions, lessen unnecessary obligations, and reduce noncritical work commitments in favor of stealing moments where they happen, spending an hour (or two) with a good book, reveling in the comfort of warm sheets, and enjoying long cozy nights by the fire with my family, just to name a few. The knowledge of energy well spent is its own reward—that, and banking these experiences, will further my creative journey.

Where do you wish for your life to take a turn in 2017? Maybe it involves a new class, an updated work out, or meditation. You don’t have to make major changes in your routine or quit your job. To begin it only takes a few of those precious moments strung together to create a space in time for you to call your own. Just start. A richer more rewarding life could be waiting for you this year.