Welcome to the new year! I started the year with the perpetual cold that I had the hardest time shaking. Since then, I am taking time to catch up with friends and set the course for what I believe will be a truly remarkable year.

On my mind is doing the work… but also loving the work. In the past the Buddhist phrase “Chop Wood, Carry Water” has held a lot of meaning for me. The phrase "Chop Wood, Carry Water" has its origins in Zen Buddhism. It is a simple yet profound teaching that emphasizes the importance of mindfulness, presence, and finding fulfillment in everyday tasks. This teaching reminds us to fully engage in the present moment and find joy in even the most mundane activities. By focusing on the task at hand, we can cultivate a sense of purpose and find contentment in our daily lives.

To me, Chop Wood Carry Water is about doing the little things well and finding the spirit of the work to be fulfilling as well. As someone who feels like their life's work is a calling—this really helps me bring joy to the every day. This is also true of my personal life, which has been incredibly meaningful lately. Maybe not the laundry—that's more chop wood, carry water, fold one more basket... but that's ok.

My new year's resolution this year isn't one thing this time around—it's doing the little things better and building habits.

The Tally App—Tally Counter & Habit Tracker

My first find is a good one. Matt, my husband, has been a long time fan of tally apps. He uses them as a way to track his PT and meditation practice but I'm using them to track my new year's resolutions. I've created a list of SMART goals that are custom to me that I'd like to accomplish by year end—The year end piece is key as now I'm not beating myself for taking it slow at the start of the year and feeling really good about doing what I can at the time that I can do it. That said, I check in every day to see if I have accomplished anything. Without fail so far, I've done something to be proud of but this longer term goal has created room for Grace—which in a world where I'm on call for my clients, is so meaningful. Progress not perfection. You'll see me practice my violin more, closing those Apple rings and in general telling more people that I care about them and writing more notes.

Genius, Ted Talk by Elizabeth Gilbert

This is not a new recommendation by any stretch but this has sat with me for years. Like I probably re-visit this 2-3 times a year. It explores the thought that genius isn't something that you are—it's something that you tap into.

Elizabeth Gilbert of Eat Pray Love Fame has a wonderful talk about showing up in the spirit of genius. In her TED Talk, Elizabeth Gilbert discusses the concept of genius and how it is not something that we inherently possess, but rather something that we can tap into. She emphasizes the importance of showing up in the spirit of genius and highlights the idea that genius is not limited to a select few individuals. Gilbert's talk provides valuable insights on how we can cultivate our own genius and embrace our creative potential.

Centuries ago in the deserts of North Africa, people used to gather for these moonlight dances of sacred dance and music that would go on for hours and hours, until dawn. And they were always magnificent, because the dancers were professionals and they were terrific, right? But every once in a while, very rarely, something would happen, and one of these performers would actually become transcendent. And I know you know what I’m talking about, because I know you’ve all seen, at some point in your life, a performance like this. It was like time would stop, and the dancer would sort of step through some kind of portal and he wasn’t doing anything different than he had ever done, 1,000 nights before, but everything would align. And all of a sudden, he would no longer appear to be merely human. He would be lit from within, and lit from below and all lit up on fire with divinity. And when this happened, back then, people knew it for what it was, you know, they called it by its name. They would put their hands together and they would start to chant, “Allah, Allah, Allah, God, God, God.” That’s God, you know. Curious historical footnote: when the Moors invaded southern Spain, they took this custom with them and the pronunciation changed over the centuries from “Allah, Allah, Allah,” to “Olé, olé, olé,” which you still hear in bullfights and in flamenco dances. In Spain, when a performer has done something impossible and magic, “Allah, olé, olé, Allah, magnificent, bravo,” incomprehensible, there it is — a glimpse of God. Which is great, because we need that. But, the tricky bit comes the next morning, for the dancer himself, when he wakes up and discovers that it’s Tuesday at 11 a.m., and he’s no longer a glimpse of God. He’s just an aging mortal with really bad knees, and maybe he’s never going to ascend to that height again. And maybe nobody will ever chant God’s name again as he spins, and what is he then to do with the rest of his life? This is hard. This is one of the most painful reconciliations to make in a creative life. But maybe it doesn’t have to be quite so full of anguish if you never happened to believe, in the first place, that the most extraordinary aspects of your being came from you. But maybe if you just believed that they were on loan to you from some unimaginable source for some exquisite portion of your life to be passed along when you’re finished, with somebody else. And, you know, if we think about it this way, it starts to change everything. And what I have to sort of keep telling myself when I get really psyched out about that is don’t be afraid. Don’t be daunted. Just do your job. Continue to show up for your piece of it, whatever that might be. If your job is to dance, do your dance.

Watch here.

Portland Syrups

Finally, one of my new years resolutions this year is to embrace the mocktail. A friend introduced me to Portland Syrups. Portland Syrups are a line of beverage syrups that offer a variety of flavors to create delicious mocktails. They are a great option for those who want to enjoy the nuance of a fancy drink without the presence of alcohol. The sampler pack allows you to try different flavors and experiment with unique combinations. Give them a try and elevate your mocktail game!

These are delicious and cut down the effort when you are seeking the nuance of a fancy drink sans liquor. I ordered the sampler pack and have loved working through these!

Anyway, I hope your new year is off to a fantastic start, even if it's slow and needing a bit of extra grace. "I'd like the record to reflect that today I showed up for my part of the job.”