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| The Roman god, Janus |
January 13, 2014
Happy New Year! Welcome 2014!
Okay, okay... so I'm a couple of weeks late in my greetings. Still, it is a new year and well-wishes are always in order.
Do you know why the New Year begins in the month of January? It all started when this month of the year was named by the Romans after one of their more important gods, Janus. Janus was the god of time - specifically of beginnings and endings. As such, he was also the god of all types of transitions - birth, death, marriage, journey. Therefore doorways, gates and all types of portals were considered sacred to Janus, for to pass through one of these was to literally transition from one place to another.
Here we are two millennia later and we are still observing January the way that many Romans would recognize. Not that Janus any longer plays a role in our celebrations, still we pause and reflect as we pass through life, acknowledging that one span of time has ended and another begun.
Janus was frequently depicted as having two faces looking in opposite directions. In much the same way, during the month of January, we take stock of our lives, looking back to what the previous year brought us, and also looking forward, trying to anticipation what the next one will bestow upon us.
One of the ways that we observe this time of transitions is assessing what didn't go so well in the past, and making commitments as to how we will change in the future. Well intended, we start out the New Year with a list of resolutions: to lose weight; start exercising, drink less, get finances under control, eat healthy... the list could go on and on, but you get the drift. Then a few weeks into the month of January - usually about this time - our resolutions seem to overwhelm us and begin to fall aside.
But I believe that there are ways we can make positive changes in our lives and chart a new course in the coming months. Here are my suggestions:
1. Set goals that are specific and attainable.
Let me illustrate with one of my own resolutions for 2014 - to write more. To make that very general goal work, I have made a commitment to write two pages a day of written material - minimum. I consider this attainable, considering that the writer Stephen King sets a goal of writing at least 10 pages a day. Two is reasonable for me.
2. Be time specific.
My goal of writing is very specific - writing something every day. Within that goal, I have set up a time frame for when I write and for how long I write.
3. Track your progress.
I've started keeping track of my writing with a small moleskin notebook. In it, I record the day and the amount written. It is a way of keeping me accountable to myself.
4. Reward yourself.
Goals become habits when a routine is established. I discovered that one of the ways I can routinized my behavior is to give myself a treat when my task is accomplished. Specifically, I tend to write before in the late morning and do not take a break until I finish my writing. Thus, my lunch becomes my reward - generally a bowl of homemade soup which I find very satisfying especially during these cold days of winter.
5. Make it public.
Tell others about your resolutions or goals. Don't keep it private. When you share your plan of change with others, first, it becomes more real, and two, it also holds you accountable to someone other than yourself. I told my family about my goal of writing at the beginning of January, and now I'm telling you. Help me stay on task!
6. Practice grace daily.
There are going to be days when we fail ourselves and miss the goals we set for ourselves. That's just the way it is! So you will need lots and lots of grace and forgiveness for yourself for when this happens. Then what? You start fresh the very next day and just keep plugging away until you've worn a groove in your life making something new an ongoing routine.
So what are a few of your resolutions for 2014? Share them with me and with others in the comments section.
Cheers,
Steve
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