Hello reader,
Happy New Year, y’all. I hope you enjoyed a few moments of pause and insight, and are ready to get after it.
And if that was not your path this holiday, read on…I have some tools here for you that may help with the insights, reflection and plan for what comes next.
But first, I’d like to share an insight I had over the holiday break. Super light, insubstantial, but also quite revealing.
I ventured to Belize for an overdue adult vacation. One night I found myself hanging out in a heated pool with a glass of cold wine, which is not recommended but also very fun. I was served a decidedly mediocre, maybe even bad, probably spoiled glass of wine. I was with a friend, didn’t want to fuss about it, and put some ice in the wine to deaden the flavor.
My friend was like – What are you doing?
I explained that I didn’t want to get up, I just wanted to enjoy the wine that tasted bad.
He was like – How ’bout you get a new glass of wine?
I was like – I’ll make the best of this.
You see where this is going.
He got up, got out, got a new glass of wine from a fresh bottle and handed it to me.
Easy peasy.
And of course, it’s not about the wine. Life is too short to suck it up and deaden the experience of something that you could be enjoying. By killing the blech flavor of the wine (which should be a delight) I lost the opportunity to enjoy a good one. In effort to not disrupt the moment, I ensured the moment was less pleasurable.
Fixing it, making it right, took less than a minute, and allowed me to enjoy the experience more fully.
Many of us, myself included, make this mistake. Too many people parents, young adults in their first job, people, and partners are making the best of bad situations which leads to all kind of non-fun results like Malaise! Frustration! Situational depression! Disappointment! Exhaustion. Or my personal favorite, Resentment.
My lesson learned: stop sucking it up and start enjoying fully. Take the extra effort to move toward a deeper enjoyment, so that life is a pleasure. Fix what’s broken; don’t endure it, or band-aid something that can be fixed unnecessarily.
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I have two traditions at the end of the year. Want to try along with me?
1. Give Yourself A Review.
I spent the better part of the last two weeks contemplating, considering, dreaming and recording my experiences in 2025 and aspirations for 2026. Year Compass is my tool of choice. I hope you enjoy it too.
January is a great month to process this stuff and plan for what’s ahead.
2. Give Yourself One Word to Focus on as the Theme For The Year
This practice is detailed here. Your word can be a theme, a north store, and hopefully encompassess all the micro-goals you have. When in doubt, or in indecision, return to the word and it can be your guide.
If you complete the Year Compass guide, at the end, you’ll be guided to come up with a word. This year, mine is enjoyment. It sits above my smaller goals for the year, as enjoyment is the result of effort made toward deeper pleasure, happiness and satisfaction.
3. Extra Credit: Your Theme Song!
This year I have a new tradition. Whilst traveling in Placencia, Belize I became acquainted with Lyrical the Troubador. On New Year’s Day he asked if he could play me a song and chose Shaggy’s Strength of a Woman. Shaggy wrote this as a love song to his mom and a respect song for womankind. I had never heard it before it was sung to me but damn. When it fits, it fits.
Is there a theme song you want to claim for this year? Have at it.
I wish you a healthy, enjoyable and meaningful New Year, friends.
As always, drop me a line, share your word, your song, and any aspirations you have for 2026! Or set up a session and we can work it through together.
Oodles of love,
Allison
