“We will open the book.  Its pages are blank.  We are going to put words on them ourselves.  The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.”

Edith Lovejoy Pierce (Poet b. 1904)

A new year represents beginning with a clean slate.  At the beginning of anything, there is a feeling that all things are possible.  A new moment holds all the optimism and hope we carry for what may come.  And usually with the first sentiment of a new year we also reflect on the past year, on what we accomplished or on what we can work harder.  For some it may be to make healthier choices, for others it may be to find happiness or finally take that well deserved dream vacation.  But for most parents and families it is finding more time for what matters most:  spending time with our kids, our families and creating lasting memories with them.  A statistic from Psychology Today reports that 45% of adults who set New Year's resolutions break them before June.  So how can you begin to write the first chapter?  Whatever your New Year's goal may be there are ways to find some inner peace and achieve them.  Here are some ideas to help you:

1. Define your goals.  Defining your goals helps you figure out what you want to focus on and prioritize.  Writing down your goals makes them more concrete and helps you decide mentally what is important and what should be your priority.
    
2. Set goals that are attainable.  Goals don't always have to be monumental.  Sometimes simple is best.  In fact, experts suggest that if you keep the bar a little lower to start, you have a much higher chance of reaching it.  Instead of declaring you will run a marathon when you have never been a runner in the past, start with a goal to run/walk a 5K instead.  That way you will have a better chance to achieve success.
    
3. Online support.  Today you can find just about anything online - and help is accessible 24 hours a day.  Whether you want to find happiness or get beach body perfect before the summer, there is an online support group for everything and everyone.  And sometimes inspiration and motivation comes from other lives lived.  Author of the best-selling book The Happiness Project, Grethchen Rubin created the 2012 The Year of Happiness Challenge Project (www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/the-year-of-happiness-challenge.html).  You can sign-up for eNewsletters and receive assistance right in your "inbox" to be happier.  Rubin harnesses experts from different areas to help subscribers reach their goals.  And you are part of a world-wide community, so if you need support, inspiration, or just motivation, it can be available with a click of the mouse - when it is convenient for you.  Another example of online support if your goal is to lose weight and be healthier in the New Year, programs like Jenny Craig have online support groups, blogs and forums to help you reach your goals.  Check out www.jennycraig.com/community.  It all depends on the program you decide that is right for you.
    
4. Lifestyle change.  Make sure to treat your goals as a life-style-change.  For example, instead of saying you want to lose weight, make choices that will make you healthier.
    
5. Local support.  If hands-on is more your style, then find a local workshop or class that will suit your needs.  Everyone learns differently and having access to a coach and attending classes regularly may be a more conducive learning style for you.  Regina author, inspirational speaker, and Positive Power Coach CCP Tania Bird offers a workshop about self-awareness, self-forgiveness, self-acceptance and self-love.  Bird believes, "What we think, we bring about."  She teaches from her workbook Behind the Mask how to stop negative self-talk and give yourself more loving messages.  Her course helps you figure out what personal beliefs you have, which are serving you, and which ones need replacing.  Learn how you can moderate your thinking, and discover if you are out of balance.  If you are out of balance, it will manifest in your body as health issues such as high-blood pressure, depression and weight gain.  For more information on Tania Bird's course, please email her at tania.bird@sasktel.net.
   
    
6. Be Positive.  In the holiday TV Classic, Happy New Year Charlie Brown!, Peppermint Patty asks Charlie Brown if he has any New Year's resolutions.  He answers, "instead of dreading the entire year, I am going to dread one day at a time."  Make sure you surround yourself with positive supports when trying to make changes in your life and achieve your goals, and that you are a positive influencer too.  Everyone has a bad day, so if you feel down, cut yourself some slack and keep going.  And take some advice from our Events Editor, Rita Holowenko, mother of two who says "I'm a believer of owning your bad day, doing something about it.  Or smile you're way through it."

No matter what your goals for the New Year may be, the fact that you want to make a change in your life for the better is the first and most important step.  Be sure to keep a journal so you can keep track of your progress and if you falter, no worries, keep moving forward. This time next year, you will be looking back at your achievements and looking ahead at a new chapter.

Do you have a unique family goal you want to achieve this 2012?  Visit us on facebook.com/KinderBuzz to share it your 2012 goals with other KinderBuzz.com Families.  We would love to hear from you!