Two Things To Love This February

Well, we made it through January. Let’s all give ourselves some credit for that accomplishment because it was a big one this year. In that spirit of celebration, I have two pretty exciting things to share that I think you’ll all enjoy.

The first is my February Reset. For years I’ve been saying that one of the reasons January can be so difficult for people is resolutions. In theory, it’s a great idea to reflect on the previous year and resolve to improve things in the new one. But in reality, this doesn’t really work for most people.

We’ve just made it through the year, we finally get a chance to relax and celebrate with our family and friends, and there’s lots of food and drink, staying up late, sleeping in, and probably not as much exercise as usual. Most resolutions don’t ease you out of that and into a healthier, more productive lifestyle.

Most people don’t make small, achievable resolutions. There’s a tendency to want to proclaim sweeping resolutions, set the expectation that change should happen overnight, and when it doesn’t, you feel bad about yourself. Chances are you lose your resolve. It’s the exact opposite of what you intended. And it can get you down (see my last post re: Blue Monday).

That’s why I believe in the February Reset. Give yourself January to recoup, recover, purge, reflect, brainstorm, dream. Remove the pressure to change all of your behaviors the morning of January 1st. An artist needs to stretch and prep a canvas before the painting can begin. January is your month to clear out the old, literally and figuratively, and provide yourself with the clarity and strength to make change.

Then in February, right around the Chinese New Year, you’ll be motivated and ready to begin. Which is appropriate, since the Chinese New Year celebration is centered around removing the bad and the old, and welcoming the new and the good.

I’ve been working on strategies and resources that I’ll be sharing here and on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter so be sure to follow along. Thursday night I’ll also be back as a guest on The Life Got In The Way Podcast, talking with Nikki C about my February Reset and sharing some strategies everyone can use. I’ll let you know when it drops!

My second announcement is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time. I’ve talked about putting together a Book Club, but I know how busy everyone is and keeping up with the reading for a book club can be stressful. The one day while I was walking the dog, I thought, how great would it be to have a book club where there’s no pressure to read the assigned book. It was a seed of an idea that I started calling the Easy Peasy Book Club.

The plan was to have a suggested book that you had the option to read if it interested you. If it didn’t, you’d come with a book you’ve read and enjoyed, and share it with the group. Then everyone has fun and goes home with a list of good book recommendations. Easy Peasy! Then the pandemic happened.

Suddenly nothing was easy peasy. Binge watching television was a great escape, podcasts kept our minds occupied. We found new ways to connect. I walked the dog a lot, and had time to think, to revise the Easy Peasy Book Club idea. I saw everyone on social media asking for recommendations for good television and interesting podcasts. The seed of the Easy Peasy Book Club had sprouted.

Everyone wants good recommendations and we all need motivation. But, The Easy Peasy Recommendation & Motivation Club is a mouthful. And way too long for a hashtag.

So RecMo was born. I’m excited and I think you will be too. I’ll be revealing it to all of you on Sunday, February 13th. Until then, stay tuned for more details and take good care. Xo, Meg