Haerera 2007 and Haeremai 2008. Aside from stirring up my Maori roots, a trip back to New Zealand last year conjured up a myriad of moments that left me wondering what the heck I’d been doing for the last 12 years. It seemed I had traded a once balanced life of work, leisure, nature, family and friendship for TV, expensive toys, an ever expanding waistline and long work weeks to help pay for it all! Living in the greatest, most diverse nation in the world, I had lost sight of nature’s real treasure – simple mortal pleasures that enrich and strengthen our gusto for life.

Though millions of New Year’s resolutions (NYR) are declared each year, seldom do many stand a chance of coming into fruition. After all, we are programmed daily to obey our desire for addiction long before self preservation. This hypothesis becomes evident as gym memberships slow down in February; treadmills become clothes racks by March and we end up fatter than we were 6 months before we made that ridiculous annual promise. Could it be the pressure and guilt of not making a NYR is more uncomfortable than failing to resolve it?

While challenges are a necessary part of our evolvement, think how choice life would be if we worked through our dilemmas in peace rather than chaos? What if our process and strategy for solving whopper size dramas called for a long luxurious soak in a tub infused with sea salt and delicious essentials oils followed by a shave and facial to help clear the head and calm the nerves? How precise would our judgment be if our bodies were properly nourished with mouth watering meals made from the freshest organic ingredients? How complete would you feel at the end of a good days work celebrating with a glass of scrumptious wine under a sea of stars snuggled up to the one you love?

Growing up old school, this prescription for life might seem a bit hokey or even on the indulgent side. However, you must resist this old programming and conquer old habits by replacing them with new ones. Rather than ask yourself if you can afford it or deserve the time out for yourself, consider how much the alternative may already be costing you.

Don’t wish away another year thinking the next one is going to serve you better. Instead, find ways to maximize each moment by turning ordinary tasks into extraordinary experiences. If you don’t know where to start, give me a call or drop by for a chat. I’ll point you in one direction until you find the path right for you. On that note, live strong, laugh often and love lots. Good on you mate.

Many of us spend our lives searching for success when it’s usually so close that we can reach out and touch it.
- Russell Conwell, Minister, Writer