Being present, living with intention, and taking time to reflect are so important to personal growth and our overall health. We all want to be happy, to live a life of fulfillment, to be healthy and free of dis-ease. How do we get there? By continually growing and learning and being truly conscious in our lives (i.e. not mentally checking out and just going through your days on autopilot).

My philosophy about goals and change is fairly straightforward. Whether you are looking to change your diet, be more active, de-stress, or really whatever, keep these rules in mind.

What would your life be like without a vision?  The words lost and on a small boat in the middle of some fog come to mind.  How would you know which direction to steer to get where you are meant to be? You wouldn’t.  You’d be on a boat without a paddle.

We live in a society that wants immediate results.  Gone are the days of carrier pigeons and handwritten correspondence.  Today is the era of email, texting, one-click shopping and daily (or hourly, in many cases) delivery.  Life is fast-paced and we have grown to expect fast response, from ourselves and from others.

We’ve all got them.  Things we want to accomplish in the new year.  Goals we want to meet.  It’s a common thing to ask someone this time of year.  “Got any New Year’s resolutions?”  The Trader Joes employee ringing up my groceries last week even asked me.