Another reader writes that his theme for the year is “consistency”. He’s chosen seven areas of his life to pay more attention to on a regular (daily?) basis. To help him stay focused and to chart his progress, he’s created a daily “Consistency Card,” on which he checks off and notes the time spent on each area.

So what areas of your life deserve more attention? And what tools can you create to make that happen?

A reader from St. Petersburg - that’s in Russia, friends - has chosen “living in today” as her theme for the year. Her plan is to make fewer excuses and take more actions. Instead of waiting for the perfect day (some time in the future) to start something, she’s going to start things now.

Boy, that’s something we all need - the courage and impetus to get into action now instead of waiting for someday, maybe.

She also wrote, “…if I stop thinking that ‘today is not a good day,’ I will be happier with my life and myself.”

Now that’s a wise woman! I invite all of you to consider her theme this week and see how it might fit into your life.

I bet you know someone who says, “Well, that’s just the way I am,” and doesn’t try to accommodate or adapt to others or to situations. Often they’re proud of their “self-knowledge.” Well, that’s not self-knowledge. That’s an excuse.

True self-knowledge starts with, “That’s the way I am,” and then seeks to work with it. If you know you have a hot temper, you work to keep it under control. If you are shy, you acknowledge that and accept that you’ll have to work harder to make friends.

Self-knowledge shines a light on both your positive and negative traits. You learn to embrace them both, and to make them both work for you. But it’s never a reason to limit yourself, nor is it an excuse for imposing your flaws upon others.

Last week, I discussed setting New Year’s resolutions. This week, I want to offer you another approach. Why not set a theme for the year?

Themes are not goals. They’re often intangible, something that sets a tone for the year, almost like setting an intention.

To set a theme, choose one or two words to describe what you want out of the entire year. It might be “exploration” or “creating foundation” or “flexibility.” It could be “creativity” or “expansiveness,” “family” or “connection.”

Then create a physical representation of that theme, and place it in several places where you can see it and reflect on it regularly throughout the year. You’ll be amazed how this can impact your life!