Leave the Past Behind

It is always very tempting at the beginning of a new year to think that you can just ignore the past and start over. But life is not like the Christmas decorations that you can just put away and forget about for several months. There are things that need to be dealt with and resolved in order to move on with life in a healthy manner.

Perhaps you have a secret that you have been harboring. You likely live in the fear that someone will find out about it. What a horrible situation - always having to look over your shoulder and never being able to relax!

Maybe you have had a relationship problem that has never been taken care of. You might have to avoid that person and perhaps even their relatives or a group of friends that you had previously shared. Not good!

Do you have money issues and have never developed a plan to resolve them? Are you concerned that a cheque will bounce or your credit card transaction might be rejected? What about savings and retirement? Perhaps you just need some good ideas to help you turn things around.

Have you been ignoring your health? Did you put off having the annual checkup or seeing the dentist? Is exercise something from the very distant past? How about your eating habits? What about those addictions? Do you really think that your body can function at peak performance levels considering how you are treating it?

Let's consider your career. Maybe you have always wanted to be doing something different but just never had the courage or the training to take the leap into your dreamed of occupation. Many people stay in jobs that they don't like for years when it might have only taken a few months or a couple of years to get the certificate they need to open the right door. Even if you really love your job, you might need to learn some new skills or get better at doing certain things.

What is on your wish list that you just never get to? This year I had to remove six people from my Christmas mailing list because they have died. Make sure that you contact the people who are important to you before it is too late to do so. Regrets come from putting things off for too long.

Are you facing personal issues that you wish would go away? Learning how to be assertive, developing strategies to manage stress or figuring out how to set and reach goals can make a big difference in your life. What would you like to learn in the next year?

Is your environment packed full of "stuff"? Perhaps you need to start getting rid of things or organizing what you have into practical systems.

Yes, we have twelve months ahead of us and how we live them will largely depend on the choices we make. Hang onto the good memories of the past but don't expect the problems to just go away on their own.

Today is probably the very best time you will have to schedule an appointment with a psychologist who can help you to deal with the things from the past that are holding you back.

Make it a truly Happy New Year!