A Sparkling Theme for 2019
I am not a fan of resolutions.
They’re well-intended, but they don’t seem to last. We need something to anchor and guide us, to help us be our best.
Having a theme for the year is what works for me. It’s more inspirational.
The thing about resolutions is they set external targets. They are prescriptive, telling you what to do. While there is a certain power to their concrete and tangible character, they seldom stick because they lack inspiration.
Themes don’t expire, they inspire. They tap into our creativity and curiosity, rather than our willpower. They engage us instead of dictating to us. That’s why a theme lasts longer.
Review Your Year for the Pivotal Moments
That’s the simple lens I use to review my past year, reflecting on events, accomplishments and moments.
Try it… Write down your “yahoo” moments of 2018. What are you proud of? What brought you joy? Maybe you’ll think of positive steps taking care of your health; quality time with cherished friends; redesigning your website or reorganizing the basement.
Now your “boohoos.” What tough things happened? Jot down whatever triggered your disappointments or sense of loss or shortcoming in the last year.
What sparked an “aha”? What did you learn? What truth were you reminded of?
Review your list. Say thank you to 2018 for the yahoos, the boohoos, the ahas. Feel your gratitude for all you learned.
Now crumple it, toss it out, and say goodbye to 2018.
A Theme to Inspire Your New Year
To figure out your theme, take a fresh piece of paper and write on top: “What Is Next.”
Jot down what comes to your mind and heart.
Ask yourself….
- What do I want my life/career/work to feel like in 2019?
- What do I want more of? Less of?
- What fires me up, makes me feel more alive?
- What scares me?
- What are the challenges in 2019?
- What do I want to focus on for the next year?
Noodle on these questions…. Instead of trying to figure out the answers, linger with the questions.
While you linger, drop your attention to your heart. Drop your attention to your breath. Don’t force it, see what comes.
As words, images or ideas surface, a theme might reveal itself. Sometimes it pops right out, other times it emerges as you noodle. Pay attention to what makes you sparkle, what inspires you.
Once you’ve got a theme in sight, take it out for a test drive. Live with it for a week or two. Does it resonate? Does it spark more questions? Revise and reiterate until it resonates, and let it guide and inspire you as the year unfolds.
Hmmm, really? Ballet dancer, opera singer, nuclear physicist–are those pursuits really available to anyone and everyone?
When you play to your strengths, it’s naturally easier to accomplish more
What a Fall it has been! Just when I thought my schedule was settling into a routine, something surprising would get added. Sometimes it was a happy event like a new, exciting work opportunity. Other times it was an unexpected tragedy such as the death of a dear family member. I am so grateful for all the reminders I have plugged in to my day-to-day life to remind me to BE HERE NOW. That focus keeps me in the vibrant reality of the moment — whether the moment is delightful or heart breaking. When I practice — BE HERE NOW — it gets easier and easier to relinquish my age-old habits of worrying, ruminating, or blaming when life doesn’t unfold as expected.
GLORIOUS!
Exciting news from Coach Olk HQ! My new product, 
This fall Mother Nature has been putting on quite a show in the Midwest. We had a long run of warm sunny days, beautiful blue skies and glowing gold, orange, and red trees. And rainbows! I have never seen so many fall rainbows. It has been breathtaking.
There is no colleague I respect more than Mary Olk. She has an unwavering commitment to personal and professional growth for her clients and herself. She is a truly gifted inner guide—extraordinarily insightful, self aware, highly skilled, and wise. I am especially proud she has chosen to integrate the Gremlin-Taming® method into her own naturally potent style of facilitating others to tap into and channel their potential. Her clients are beyond fortunate to have her in their lives.