Inward & Onward!

Happy 2015!  As I and every other person who writes a blog on earth am wont to do in early January, I want to write just a little bit about my resolution/word/phrase for 2015.

I'm a huge New Year's nerd - the countdown to midnight, the black eyed peas for dinner New Year's Day, and the reflection.  Oh, the endless reflection and journaling and yoga-ing!  It's one of my favorite holidays by far.  Thanksgiving and Christmas are so much about being around loved ones and traveling to see family and celebrating with them, which is priceless and which I wouldn't trade for the world.  But for a reflective introvert, New Year's Day is a damn close second.

I tend to overdo resolutions, and like everyone else in the world, tend to see certain resolutions pop up again and again and again, year after year.  After awhile, it gets a little disheartening, but I love New Year's and resolutions way too much to become jaded and just give it up.  Instead, I've changed my tactic a little bit in recent years.

Instead of just one word as I've done in some years past (because that would be too simple), I felt compelled to choose two - Inward and Onward.  The idea of using these words as a guidepost for the year means that instead of seeing one concrete resolution as a success or failure - with a start and end-point - is that I can use them as a mantra throughout my days and when things get hard to help guide my everyday thought patterns and decision-making.

Housed within Inward
-More Being, Less Doing
-Less screen time (specifically - less time per day on the Book of Faces)
-Make the time when things are busy for things that will really nourish me, as tempting as reality cooking shows may be.  Writing, meditating, practicing, reading, etc.
and much, much more that I will spare you

Housed within Onward (inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert)
-Worry is futile - move on
-Take responsibility for the energy I bring into a room
-The oh so familiar and frequent regret after an over-indulgent meal or night at a bar or whatever it might be.  Enjoy it for what it was, learn from it - onward.
and much, much more that I will spare you


How do you do New Year's?  A word?  A phrase/motto?  A list of detailed resolutions, goals, and deadlines for said resolutions goals?  Or do you just say screw it and reach for another bottle of champagne?

The world could use a more peaceful year ahead which is what I ultimately wish for myself and all of you.  Happy 2015!