No More New Year's Resolutions

In December of 2009 I threw away New Year's resolutions and it changed my life.  Gone was the list of things I was excited for... worried over... pressured about... failing at..... and then, finally, ashamed of because they were incomplete  Instead I did something else:

I picked a theme.

---

My theme was simple.  It had no specific goal in mind, only the intent to focus on that area of my lie more than others for that year in the hope that it would improve.  That's what I wanted - improvement.  Nothing more, nothing less.  What would that improvement be?  I don't know, I didn't define it.

At the time I had a toddler and a young child at home and I was cranky.  I wanted to be a fantastic mother more than anything.  I wanted to stop whatever it was I was doing that was making me miserable in that area.  Too worried?  Too controlling?  Too lackadaisical?  Too serious?  I didn't know, I just wanted to have more fun and to love what I did.  So my theme for 2010 was "family."

By the December of 2010 the changes in my house were incredible.  I'm not sure how to define it, but you know that look you see in a mom's eyes when she'd had it up to here and it's only 10:00am?  I didn't have that look anymore.  And I genuinely loved being at home with my kids.

Inspired by the theme idea I chose "health" for 2011.  That was the year I went gluten-free and then Paleo and lost 50 pounds.  Gone was fatigue, back aches, joint pain, brain fog, food cravings and that the need to meditate.  I was so zen my life felt like a meditation.  Getting off grains and sugar transformed my difficult / sensitive child into a happy, easy going child as well, so my family theme seemed to continue, my new theme building on the last.

2012 was prosperity.  Let me tell you, it worked.

So what's my theme this year? 

I'm not telling. :)

I have found that, for me, the secret to incredible success is to a) not try to define my theme too closely and b) not tell anyone about it.  (Or perhaps tell only a select few, like your LOA coach.) That way there is no pressure.  No agenda.  No fear of failure.  In fact, some months I seem to forget about my theme, except it's always there under the surface, subconsciously working towards my incredible, inevitable benefit.

What should your theme be?
Anything you want! But I will say, be honest with where you are.  I wanted to aim for prosperity my first time out of the gate but I knew I wasn't ready; I had to get my foundation set and for me, that meant family.  Then I needed to feel good about my body and myself because I didn't feel worthy of being wealthy. I could have challenged those beliefs but I decided it would be easier and more beneficial for me to just get healthy.  After those two years of laying the groundwork prosperity was easy.

What Is Your Theme For 2012?
If you don't know, you can try the trick I learned recently. Ask yourself "If I knew the answer, what would it be?" 

And remember, if you don't share your theme with anyone there is no pressure to get it done or to get it right.  You can just assume that your theme will help you focus this year into something incredible: growth.  And that's always the result of a really good life. :)