I turned a year older today, and hopefully a year wiser.  But definitely a year smarter, and so I thought this would be a great time to pause and reflect on some of my goals for the year.  If you recall, I deduced a formula for goal setting, which I wanted as a reminder to help me achieve them in 2014.  So far, I have managed to do well on about 3/5 of my goals, which is progress, albeit slow.

I was also reminded about a goal I had almost 10 years ago…and yes, I have not achieved it yet.  But, I am not looking at this or my 3/5 score as failure this year.  Instead, I am looking at it as continued reinforcement that goals can be met, even if it takes time, energy and patience.

Why you may ask?  Am I being too easy on myself?

Well one thing my younger self didn’t pay too much attention to was stress, and the effects it can have on your life, relationships, life…basically everything.  Stress comes from so many areas these days:  work, relationships, commitments, responsibilities, finances, and guilt to name a few.

Guilt is one I have decided to try and remove from my life this year.  Guilt in the form of regret over menial things, and unreasonable expectations.  And this will take some time…

My lesson for my younger self is to live your life in a way where you can be there for yourself, and not against.  To try and live in the present, embrace the future, and learn from the past what you can, while also moving on.  Do something you love every day, and make it something to feel good about (not just for the sake of doing it).

le haute eye is one of those feel good things for me, and so thank you for continuing to read on and making this day extra special!