Creamy white clouds spread like buttercream frosting across the periwinkle blue background.
Pink, yellow and orange beams blazing through sparkle off  the palm fronds that are dancing in the breeze at the top of the tree outside my window. I sit on the soft worn sofa next to the window that faces the dark grey ocean. A chocolate brown and white plaid wool blanket that was a souvenir from a trip I took to Italy with my father twenty five years ago is spread over my legs and tucked under my feet.

I welcome the morning view as I hunt and peck the keyboard on my Samsung smartphone. (Which has not been that smart these days, but that’s another story)

Sipping hot tea and honey to heal my cough and nagging laryngitis. One by one I hear my neighbors’ cars start as they head out for the first day back to work in the new year.

The first Monday of the new year. That’s when the real new year starts. Last year ended with a four day weekend so, today is when it really starts.

The past four days were still filled with friends and family, food, parties, organizing, guests, sleeping in, reading, lounging in pajamas whispering my words and sucking cough drops…

But, today is when everyone goes back to their routine. When the hours and minutes are stacked up with work, checking off to do lists, meetings and marketing yourself to sell what it is that you do. Today is when you decide if you will continue to do what you’ve always done and do it the way you’ve always done it. Or, you can decide to do it a new way.

Only you can make the choice to do it with more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Only you can decide to do it with more boldness, courage, strength, creativity, tenacity and intention.

Whatever you have listed this year to improve, get better at or make new…today is the day it all begins.

For me, I have a list of projects that I am working to accomplish. Some are continuing existing works and some are a blank canvas just waiting to be splashed upon.

We can all accomplish our goals by allowing the “Elbs” do their magic. My friend, Roy Williams taught me about elbs and their magic fourteen years ago. “Elbs are Exponential Little Bits, tiny but relentless changes that compound to make a miracle. The power of an elb lies not in its size, but in its daily occurrence. For an elb to work its Exponential magic, the Little Bit must happen every day… every day… every day. ”

By doing a little something every day, you can accomplish whatever you set out to do.  The little bits begin to compound and before you know if they take on a life of their own. But, you must continue to them every day.

Relationships, being the most important value in my life take a high priority of cultivation this year. That means time, effort and energy. It also means pruning, weeding and cutting away. In my last post I mentioned that I want to focus on not letting the urgent crowd out the important in my life.

I think this ultimately means learning when to say “No”. We don’t have to do it all. We don’t have to go to all the meetings, volunteer for every committee, take every client, go to every class, concert or game, accept every invitation. Asking yourself before each commitment, “Does this help me accomplish my ultimate goal?” If not, then say “No”.

Here’s to your new year! I hope you accomplish what you set out to do and I wish you peace and prosperity
in every area of your life.