What will you CONTROL this year?

For many of us, thoughts of the coming new year bring ideas on ways to improve life and what we want to change from what life has been like – or perhaps continue the good we have already experienced. Whichever camp you are in – contemplation of what you want is probably crossing your mind on some level. I know it is for me.

The past year was in a constant state of flux – on so very many levels – which can bring about anxiety, stress and uncertainty in our lives. Gaining control in some area of our existence can often help to stabilize that sensation – at least I have found that to be true in my own life. There are things we can acquire complete control over and consequently, there are those areas we can not – so be careful not to confuse the two. Those things you CAN control: how you spend your time, what you learn, what you do for yourself and others, how you treat your body, who you love, who and what you remove from your life…and I am sure you can come up with others. Then there are those things you can NOT control: the weather, the political situation, accidents, unforeseeable situations (which makes them unforeseeable, of course), body changes due to aging, the actions of others…and again, there are many I am sure you have experienced you can fit into this category. The point being --- there are areas we can put our time and attention that we can control and there are areas we will be forever spinning our wheels going nowhere.

This is a good time in life to evaluation where you have been putting your time and attention and consider where you want to either shift that attention and/or where you want to continue what has been good and satisfying. As you may notice, our priorities and interests change as we grow up and/or age – it is only logical and to be expected – so are you going with that flow or trying to swim against the current? You can approach situations from different angles, but make sure that you are looking at all logical options when making your decisions. Each phase of life offers us different opportunities and choices. We have options! We have minds that allow us to choose! Yes, bad things happen, and yes, there are many things not in our control. But we can find others in the world to help solve problems as they arise for those things we cannot handle alone – and we can certainly rely on ourselves to handle the areas we can indeed wield control.

How?

Write out what you want to control this coming year – notice I did not mention the “g” word (goal) as that can be stressful for some people if you associate failure when not meeting that goal. What steps can you take toward better control over your life? Control is not a negative. Control can be a direction, management over something (weight, behavior, organizing, etc.), mastery in an area – it is a good thing! Once you have this list (which can be altered at ANY time remember) check it throughout the year – I suggest monthly – and see how your day-to-day actions are moving you either toward or away from the areas you want to attain control. You can then work on changing the actions to direct you toward the list of intentions you set out to handle. See if this year brings you closer to the fulfillment you desire!