New Year, New Me

Kate Gibson

January 16, 2021

You are not doing this for anyone else — you are doing it for yourself.

New year, new me. That’s what we all say, right?

Well, this year, instead of thinking we are just going to achieve our goals miraculously, why not make this year a little different and make plans for how we will reach our goals. I’m all for shooting high with our goals for 2021 and making it the best year ever. But the only way we can get there is through planning and the motivation and willpower to keep moving forward.

First you have to decide what the end goal is. And you have to have a good solid reason why this goal is important to you. The more valid reasons, the better. Then write the goal down in three places you are going to see every day. This will keep you reminded and focused every day on what you are trying to do to better yourself. Place a copy in your car or at your workspace so that you keep your goal fresh in your mind.

Next, make a reasonable plan on how to reach each goal. Let’s say your goal is to be able to meditate for an hour each day at a given time by the end of the year. You could start the year off in January by meditating for 5 minutes at a time twice a week. Each month, add more time as you slowly reach your goal of a full hour.

This same method can be used for losing weight and working out. Many of us make the mistake of taking on too much right at the start of January. If you want to establish good gym habits and have a regular daily routine, don’t start with the expectation of doing it every day. If you have never had a regular routine of going to the gym or working out, try going to the gym 2 – 3 times a week to start. Once you have done that for a couple of weeks or months, add another day to your schedule. Habits that will stay with you are built slowly.

Finally, you need to have the self-motivation to push yourself to the goals that you want to achieve. You are not doing this for anyone else — you are doing it for yourself. If you set your goals around someone else, it is almost impossible to achieve them. The only person that is stopping you from achieving your goals is you. “It’s mind over matter.” The person that is holding you back is you. Your mind is a powerful place. Point it in one direction with clear steps and see it work.

Once you learn to make stepping-stones to reach your goals, and stay with them, you will be unstoppable.

Kate Gibson

In the know

All The Little Foxes

It made me think of the wasted opportunities that are lost to little foxes of “doubt” — about stories never written, journeys never taken, loves never known, truths never told — because of the little foxes of doubt nibbling at the edges of our confidence and courage. “Little foxes,” she said. My friend and I were walking with dogs. It was early morning, late autumn. We were discussing everything and nothing. And we were not walking too near to each other, which somehow prohibits the natural sharing of confidences. But we had been talking about something — I can’t remember exactly what — that concerned small worries, the kind that

Thank you, 2020

OK, OK — I know what the title looks like, but hear me out. Trust me — I was cursing 2020 just as much as the next person a couple months ago, but not anymore. If anything, 2020 has taught me that life is going to take you where you are supposed to go, one way or another. It took me some time, but now I am able to look back on 2020, and I am so grateful for the year. I had a tough first semester of college. Let’s be honest — I had a tough 2020 like everyone else — but it took my first semester of college

An Interview with Chris Najmola | From the Kitchen of Fuse Aiken

Chris Najmola, why be a restaurant owner? It’s just been a lifelong love story with food and its ability to bring people together and make them happy. The first time a server came back to the kitchen to tell me how much the guests enjoyed food I had prepared, I knew that this life, as crazy as it is, was the life for me. 20 years later I still get the same satisfaction every time. Being the guy, professionally or otherwise, who cooks the food for a gathering, is just something that I find extremely rewarding. We all have our parts to play in this life, and I guess being

Scotch Cocktails | Lux Libations

At least 2020 is behind us. It’s hard to imagine a more absurd year than we just had. Usually around this time I like to sit around and reflect on the happenings of the last 12 months, but let’s not spend too much time thinking about all that nonsense, unless you were really into binge watching Netflix or working from home in your PJs for months on end. Let’s look forward together. The first part of 2021 may still be hard, but at least there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Rather than getting upset about missing out on big holiday gatherings, Super Bowl parties, and other