Change in the New Year

2013 is fast approaching, but I don't have to tell you that.  Chances are you're already looking ahead to the new year and wondering what the hell is going to happen.  You might be making resolutions.  You could be outlining your goals.  Of course, you could also be living in abject terror about the year ahead. 

What am I going to do?  What if this year is like last year and I still don't get any further?  What if I reach 12/31/13 and I'm in the same place I am today?  Arrgghh!!

Thinking like that can utterly stall you.  Been there, done that.

It's easy enough to say 'don't think like that', but sometimes you can stop yourself.  The old worries - the 'squirms', if you will - creep up and take over.  And this time of year is harder than most.  The pressure to perform is particularly heavy right now.  The year is beginning anew and things should probably change for the better in the coming twelve months.  Right? 


It reminds me of an old joke:  How many psychologists does it take to change a lightbulb?  Just one, but it has to really want to change.

And an old maxim: If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten.

To make things better than what you've got right now, you've got to change something.  Change occupations.  Change your diet.  Change addresses.  Change the way you approach your writing.  Whatever it is you want a different outcome for requires you to change something.

Sure, sometimes we can do everything we know how to do to make a change and the outcome ends up being the same.  But at the end of the year we can at least know we tried.  Right?

I have a couple of friends who, every year, pick a word that will highlight their year.  One of them had 'Focus' as her word for 2012.  And she used that word as a reminder of what she wanted for herself.  This year I already know my word is going to be CHANGE. 

What about you?  Is there something in your life you could do differently to achieve a more positive outcome than the one you're facing?  What changes have you made that turned out well for you?

And finally, what word do you want to describe your 2013?