While I hope to accomplish a lot this year, I didn’t create a long laundry list of goals/resolutions.  In fact, I only have one thing on my mind.  And that is to make 2015 the “year of calm.”

Let me explain.

This is going to be a huge year for me and Vishnu.  We have lots of travel on the horizon, including a 12 day trip to Italy in April!  We will also likely be moving again this summer.  I say likely because we don’t know where yet…we find out in March.  And these are just the things we know are coming.

In the past, when I’ve had big changes looming around the corner and/or lots of unknown factors in my life, my gut reaction was to freak out.  Not so much in a panic attack kind of way but more so an internal freak out.  I would end up trying to do a million things at once and not do anything well.  I would take out my frustrations on Vishnu which is totally not fair.  And my unhappiness with the way I was handling the situation would bring me down even further.

If I don’t change the way I process stressful situations, I know with 100% certainty all of the above will happen.  And I don’t want it to.  Of course, there will be stress and a freak out here and there.  That’s normal.  But I don’t want it to consume me and inevitably Vishnu.  I want us to enjoy this year and soak it all in – all the travel we have coming up, our remaining time in Miami, the move to X city, etc.

The “year of calm” has a lot to do with changing my attitude, being proactive, focusing on what’s in my control and letting everything else go, etc.  However, these things aren’t just going to happen because I want them to.  I know I have to put in some effort and work to get there.

The one practice I’ve already implemented is sitting in silence for 10 minutes everyday.  I’m not going to call this meditation (yet) because at this point it’s just me + silence + a 10 minute timer (i.e. my iPhone).  I focus on my breathing, my posture, and my state of mind.  It was a little weird at first, but I’m enjoying it now.  It’s the ultimate “me” time.

While the sitting in silence thing is my number one priority, I also want to break my iPhone addiction, especially when I’m with Vishnu.  And while I’m at it, I hope to cut back on mindless social media browsing as well.

Overall, it’s my belief that by creating a calm environment internally, I’ll be able to process and manage all the changes/stress headed our way.  And maybe even enjoy the journey…?!

Here’s to 2015…the year of calm!

Did you set any goals/resolutions for 2015?  What’s the one thing you’d like to accomplish this year?