Feels Like Starting Over, Doesn't It?

I love springtime. The bulbs and perennials are starting to break through the dirt. I planted my vegetable garden and the kale, lettuce, spinach and arugula are up.  Those sprouts are pretty tender yet, so I cover them with plastic on the frosty nights. My winter pansies that I planted last fall have a new lease on life and are blooming like crazy. New beginnings. 

Finally, the lockdowns are loosening in Washington State.  I chatted last week with a track coach and he said that the team members didn't have any idea how to act at the first meeting.  They wondered if they could hug as they had missed their friends so much. How close could they get?  Are they able to run without masks if they distance? What about high fives?   What does practice look like and how do they hold track meets?

I get it...and I bet you do, too. Things are not the same, and they are still changing quite often. There are many things that are still out of our control. We can, however, control many things about ourselves. 

How do we begin anew? 

1. Reflect. Look at last year and remind yourself what you learned. What worked for you and what didn't? What would you like this year to look like for you?  

2. Design. Now that you know what you would like this year to look like, create a plan that's going to move you in that direction.

3. Baby steps. My favorite quote is from Thoreau, "When one advances confidently in the direction of their dreams and endeavors to live the life they imagined, they will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."  Go ahead, advance confidently. 

4. Focus. Pay close attention to what you can control and let go of what you can't. 

5. Hope. My definition of hope--the positive expectation of something great happening.  Live with the expectation that your designed life will come into manifestation as you move confidently in that direction.

Will there be speed bumps on the road to your desires?  Of course. Like tulips and daffodils, you'll spring up in spite of the dirt and rocks in your way. Like the sun and warmth nourishes my winter pansies, hope and focus will feed your dreams and you will bloom where you are planted. 

If you need some help, I'm just an email away, 

Blooming,

Jan

Jan McDonald
The John Maxwell Team


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