2016 – Time to re-appraise, re-charge and re-set

It’s a new year and with that comes resolutions, diets, detoxes, fresh starts and a whole lot of talk.

We all start out with great intentions at the beginning of a new year. Whether our energy is directed towards improving our heath or fitness, stepping up the corporate ladder, buying a house or dedicating more time to our self development, we all set goals for ourselves at this time of year but how many of us can honestly say we commit to them and finish the year off with a sense of achievement?

Goal strategist Mardy Penrose talked about setting a goal with powerful intent a few weeks ago. This is a perfect time to think of your goal as the pot of gold at the end of rainbow, and your intention as the drive that propels you to get to the gold. It’s fruitless setting a goal without the passion and impetus to drive you.

I decided to sit back and re-visit my blog posts for 2015 before setting my new year’s resolutions. When I read over some of the posts written by my beautiful contributors I thought ‘wow there is some serious gold here – some serious gold that I personally need to be more committed to implementing this year’.

These wonderful human beings all have a special place in my life and have helped me, in some way, in my quest to live a balanced, fulfilled life. From meditation, to goal setting, time management and health and wellness tips, they are sharing the incredibly insightful guidance that I have found so valuable.

Most of the advice and tips provided in these posts are things I either incorporate into my daily routine already, or things that I know I need to pay more attention to, but when I re-read a number of these posts (including some of my own) I realised that some areas of my life have been completely out of balance.

I started out 2015 with the best intentions with a strategic plan in place to nail every task I set for myself. Somehow I got through it all, knocked exciting things off my bucket list and achieved plenty but I finished the year feeling completely wrung out. The one thing I neglected to allocate time for was ME. Time to be still, centred and simply ‘be’. I always resonate with the posts on mindfulness and meditation written by contributor Carolyn Jayne, yet it’s the one area that I regularly neglect.

So instead of my 2016 resolutions being about what I want to achieve and where I want to be (my regular goal sessions with Mardy take care of all this), I am choosing to focus on who I want to be and allowing myself time to get back in touch with what really makes me happy. I am dedicating time each week to meditate and ‘ground’ myself, to ensure that my balanced life stays truly balanced, not just on the surface.

So, what can you expect in 2016…

Carolyn– my Mumma – is a Reiki Master who specialises in emotional healing and wellbeing.  She has a host of credentials in the metaphysical field and draws on her extensive knowledge and experience to provide guidance and tips on meditation, natural remedies and holistic techniques that free us from the emotional blockages that hold us back.  In her ‘Mystic Musings’ she, as an Astrologer, often shares fascinating astrological forecasts. This year she will be taking us on some more beautiful journeys though meditation, and discussing the benefits and meaning of being present and living life fully.

Certified Trainer and Coach Mardy is very thorough and passionate about coaching people to design their lives rather than just letting life happen to them. For over 20 years she has been coaching people to set and achieve their goals and over the past 12 years she has been helping me to develop a clear, personal plan of action to help me to create my life by choice not chance. You can expect more insightful guest posts from Mardy that will make you think about your dreams, re-appraise your approach to achieving them and provide valuable advice to help you identify and live your passion.

For those of you seeking to become a healthier version of yourself by taking more care of your overall wellbeing, contributor Angela has a beautiful way of de-mystifying the concept of living well. “Everyone deserves to be the best that they can be” is Angela’s philosophy. An active, healthy Mum of two, she brings 20-plus years of professional experience in the health and wellness arena to the Joyful Juggler community. She holds degrees in Naturopathy and Commerce, along with Diplomas in Remedial Massage, Beauty Therapy and various wellness therapies. She will continue to mix it up this year with more clean recipes for healthy treats, DIY natural beauty treatments and much more.

This year we will continue to offer interesting tools and share valuable guidance to help you keep your mind, body and soul working in harmony. If there is anything that you want to see more of, please let us know. Happy resolution setting. Dream big and be true to yourself and 2016 will be one to remember!