How is your beautiful 2018 going so far? Have any ambitious and inspiring (or comforting and grounding) goals come to you yet?

Or do you mostly still feel like cocooning and just hoping to make it through? Sometimes I think the emphasis in January is so much on fresh starts and upbeat energy that we feel bad if we are having a tough time. January is hard. It’s long, it’s cold (here in Ontario), and it’s still pretty dark.

So if you’re feeling like just putting your head down and getting by one day at a time until the brighter days and warmer winds of March come, you aren’t alone. Wait until then to make your goals and plans. It’s okay! We don’t all have to follow the same timelines – we’re all unique.

If you are in the mood to make goals and plan your year ahead, I have some inspired reading below that will help you dream up some schemes and ambitions, suitable for a year of vibrant living.

Here is some reading I’ve enjoyed (and am enjoying) that has helped me savour and enjoy the first few days of 2018, and set (to the best of my abilities, and without forcing it) a tone of positivity.

• 2018: Guidance for the Year Ahead. I love Cauldrons and Cupcakes for its constant messages of support, love, and positivity. I find it also a great source of inspiration for starting to tune in to your intuition and for incorporating a bit of spirituality in a very gentle and fun way.
• Pysched and Inspired, or Full of Post-Holiday Blargh? Not going to lie! I spent the first few days (okay, week) of 2018 full of post-holiday blargh. I loved the sloth and brain relaxation of the holidays and I didn’t feel empowered to get back into planning/organizing. I let the energy do as it would (how often do we just get to totally embrace doing nothing?), and now slowly bit by bit I feel ready to plan and dream again. Cara Stein has a great handout to help you reflect on 2017 and consider what big dreams and goals you might have for 2018.
• Positive Energy by Judith Orloff. Yes, an actual hard-cover book! I’m loving this book so far. One of the things I want to work on in 2018 is developing and strengthening a spiritual practice. I really enjoyed the way in which this book talks about leaving behind any negative notions of spirituality that you might have from your childhood experiences with religion, and instead focus on finding the kind of connection that is meaningful for you, perhaps through meditation, art, music, song, nature, breathing exercises, volunteering, etc.
• I couldn’t leave off a good nutrition article! If you’re looking for something to help guide and shape your nutrition goals for the year ahead, consider this article Why I am a Pegan – and Why You Should Be Too! by Dr. Mark Hyman. Peganism combines the best of vegan (emphasis: plant-based) with the best of Paleo (emphasis: healing whole foods, nutrient-dense eating, healthy fats, quality and consciously-selected animal products). I don’t necessarily advocate for any specific ‘diet’, recognizing that we are all bioenergetically unique (and that our different health concerns/personal choices/allergies/etc require different, specialized ways of eating), but I do think Mark covers a lot of ground here in this short article, and we could all benefit from incorporating some of his ideas.

So there you are! A few good reads to help set the tone for 2018 and hopefully give you a bit of direction or an outlet for any of the goals you feel swirling around in your brain.

© Emily Joldersma, R.H.N. Eat Well, Live Vibrantly