A Reflection for the In-Between

It’s hard to believe that Christmas has already come and gone! So much hustle and bustle; so much planning and prepping; so much go, go, go…and then it’s over. Now here we are in the in between. Christmas is over but the New Year hasn’t yet begun. We are in the place where the end is not yet over but the new has not yet come. It is in this place that I invite you to pause, take a breath, and reflect.

As we edge our way towards the dawn of a new year, it’s common to begin thinking about New Year’s resolutions. Maybe even now you’re thinking about what you want to achieve, learn, or change in 2024. And don’t get me wrong; goals are great things and I’m a firm believer in continually growing, learning, and improving. But how quickly do our resolutions fall to the wayside? We come up with a plan, we convince ourselves that THIS time we will stick with it, and then in a matter of days or, if we’re really dedicated, weeks, the goal is forgotten or brushed aside. It was too hard. There were too many challenges in the way. We didn’t immediately see the results we were hoping for so we gave up out of frustration and disillusion. Yet another well-intended resolution that didn’t last past January.

So this time I invite you to try something new. During this in-between time, I invite you to consider a different type of reflection. Instead of something you want to do, achieve, or acquire, who do you want to be?

Who do you want to be?

Notice the question isn’t what do you want to be but rather who? When people think of you, what impression do you want to leave? When you leave a room, what kind of echo do you want your words and actions to reverberate with? When no one sees what you’re doing, what kind of character do you want to have? 

Perhaps you want to be a person of joy, or patience, or wisdom. Maybe you want to be a person who is able to see the good even in challenges, or someone who others know they can count on no matter what. Maybe you want to break a pattern of unhealthy attachments and become a person of confidence and strength. Or perhaps you want to be a person with a quick smile and a listening ear. Consider the qualities and characteristics of the people who you most admire. Who are/were they, and what made them so different from all the others?

Now that you have a picture in mind, I have exciting news - You can begin, right now, to become the person you aspire to be! You are not destined to remain stuck in unhealthy habits or unwanted mindsets. The place it begins is in your mind. It begins by thinking, reacting, and making choices like a person would who has the qualities you want to develop and grow. It happens one thought at a time. And it will feel clunky and uncomfortable at first. It will be hard. At times you will do well and at other times you will trip up. That’s okay; that’s part of the process. Stay focused on who you want to be and then develop a mind that is marked by those characteristics. As you retrain your mind in those ways, you will soon see your behaviors follow suit, for every action, reaction and choice is a result of your thoughts.

I invite you to step into 2024 with a vision that does not depend on circumstances outside of your control but rather one that you can begin to achieve immediately, and which can remain strong and solid on the good days and the bad, in the victories and the losses. Because all of our possessions and all of our accolades can be stripped away and lost in a moment but becoming a person of strong character, integrity, and contentment can never be taken away.

Learning now to think differently can feel overwhelming. We often have trained our brains so well that it feels impossible to change our mindsets and perspectives. Sometimes we need help knowing how and where to even begin. I would love to come alongside you and help you achieve positive, lasting changes in your mind and in your life. Let’s connect over a cup of coffee (in person or virtually) and explore how I can best support you!