Our Sands in the Hourglass

Dana van Ness, Exceptional You

“How time flies", “Don’t blink", “Where has the day gone?”

These are the ubiquitous thoughts expressed far and wide among us and are synonymous with grieving time seemingly flown by.

The deeper questions for me are: “Where were my thoughts?” “Was I as present as I wanted to be?” I apply these questions to any experience wherein time felt like the last granules of sand falling to the still bottom of an hourglass.

Last year, Halloween was initiated by September, Thanksgiving home decorations were set out in October, and I began to see the green, red and golds of Christmas by November 1st. It is no wonder that come December 31st, we gather with family and friends and over warm drinks and sweet dishes we ask rhetorically, “Where has the year gone?” With a sense of longing stinging in our throats and tugging at our heart strings, we make promises for the new year.

On the morning of January 2nd, we wake up and the race has begun again. What of the memories, the lessons, the challenges and victories, and the growth from just months ago? With each new day of the new year, those past gifts continue to settle at the bottom and are eventually forgotten.

How can we make 2022 an exceptional year? A year where we have more of what we need? In what ways can we improve our positive routines or rituals, learn something new, reconnect with a dear one we’ve missed, or be more intentional about where we give our time?

Our days are neither too long nor too short and time does not give or take, but merely moves on. This in mind, let us live the life that we want right now with intention.

To begin, take a moment to reflect where you are and ask how you got there. On which strengths did you rely to get you to your milestones? What habits delayed you or set you back? Give yourself 30 minutes to an hour to answer from your heart:

1. What is an important lesson I've come away with from 2021?

2. What was the thing I succeeded in despite my fear and doubt? What thinking, action, and learning lead to the success?

3. What important thing did I avoid because of my fear and doubt?

4. What accomplishments am I most proud of?

5. What did I give a lot of my time to that did not bring me joy or serve my goals positively?

6. What experiences or moments brought me the most joy or excitement?

With these questions, we uncover the new roadmap to the next best version of ourselves for 2022. The lessons learned will further encourage growth and continue propelling us towards our higher selves where we live in our purpose and serve others. Now that we have broken through the glass ceiling and faced our fears, we know that the scrapes are not so bad. With a bold heart, we get through it. Take the same power and fierceness to face the next doubts around our goals. Let us not forget to celebrate what we have achieved. When we do this, it reminds us also to be grateful. With mindfulness and intentionality, we can protect our time wisely and make plans to keep going even when we are tempted to fall back on habits that do not further us.

My joy is in walking in the woods and reading books. I have created a bucket list of hikes that are within 10-15 miles around my neighborhood. This cuts down on indecisiveness and time spent searching for a spot. I keep a backpack and clothing layers in my vehicle so I'm prepared.

For my reading, I've beautiful, handmade bookends which were new year presents. They help me organize my library and makes my books easily accessible. I commit to reading each night even if I only have time to read a page, a paragraph or just review the page I read the night before; it fulfills me still.

Find your joy and start with sprinkles of it if you have to.

With love from my soul to yours,

Dana van Ness, Life Coach

Exceptional You