Happy New Year! I know it’s a little late. I thought I’d let the gyms clear out and some sort of normal routine set back in before I disrupted it again. As a small business owner, January has always been a time to get last year’s information together and ready for tax season.  This year, however, feels a bit different: I feel a strong sense that it’s going to be even busier than last year, so being anchored and ready for it seems important to me.

If you are reading this post then you’ve either been in a class with me or have known me for some time so you’re used to my emphasis on setting goals and intentions for the year.  Of course, I have them.  I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t and yet this year is going to be different for several reasons.  The biggest shift is a sense of uncertainty. I have had this before, several times in fact, however this is different. I’ve changed in ways that are a break from the past. I’m stretching and growing which is good and what it has created is a sense that when I stand at the edges, I’m farther away from my core.

I haven’t had this problem before in the same way. The life transitions we all experience can make us feel this way. Perhaps you know what I mean. If marriage was a big shift for you, then you can relate a little bit to this. If you suddenly received a promotion you were not quite ready for, you may also know. It’s a desire to want to fill this new space and yet still feel like you. l believe this is what leaders feel like: especially leaders who lead through times of crisis or other events that demand more than what they initially thought they would have to give. It’s the acceptance of the task, and the commitment to it that creates resolve and alignment.

As I read that paragraph again, I can see the truth of it between the lines. That is what I am feeling while it’s exciting it’s also a little scary. I feel both anticipation and a desire to not want to mess it up. So what will it take?

This is where my goals come in. I want to ensure I have strong support systems around me for all of the areas that are growing in my life. That means having conversations with people and asking them for their help in specific ways.

It also means being willing to give up control over certain aspects of my life.  Whew! Even writing that line makes me sweat!

It’s more important than ever that I practice impeccable self-care which means getting enough sleep and exercise to balance my energy needs throughout a day, a week a month, a year. It’s equally important that I maintain good relationships with the people I care about and making time for them.

All of this reminds me of a favorite question I used to ask small businesses during the recession: what would you do if Oprah’s people called you today to feature one of your products on her favorite list? That’s the thing you need to work on when you have extra time and you’re not sure what to do first.  It’s about intentional, consistent action. That is my theme for 2018. What’s yours?