Embrace your Magical Midnight Reset

The magic of a midnight reset. A season of fresh starts and goal setting on a slate unmarred by the previous 365 days.

Promises to self and others are offered in the spirit of good intention and lubricated with the spirit of choice.

A clink of fancy stemmed glass or a tap of Red Solo seals the "This year I'm going to..." deal.

“I'm going to do it all different” “I'm going to exercise every day” “I'm goin to stop drinking caffeine and eating sugary snacks”

“I'm going to blend veggies and magic powder to strip my cells from their cozy toxic parkas.”

Day one dawns - you wake filled with purpose and tug on appropriate gear. You run the mile, lift the weights, blend kale, blueberries, and cumbers and stifle your gag reflex.

Day two- you wince against the sunbeams as caffeine and sugar withdrawal pierce your cerebral cortex. Gingerly limping down the stairs you remind yourself muscle recovery is a vital part of fitness and decide to take the day off.

You fix a gallon of coffee and polish off the orphaned holiday cookies. (The slightly misshapen fragments dusted with the sprinkles and powdered sugar of those who’ve gone before.)

Licking your fingers you dab the containers corners and capture each crumb.

Your cells hug their down lined parkas close as caffeine and sugar seep in. Zippers are drawn from hip to neck and are secured comfortably into place.

Your WIOH (witch-in-our-head) shakes her pompoms and executes a perfect Herkie. With a condescending grin she hoists a colorful banner to announce your lack of willpower to the world before she cues the rock bank to rattle your already pounding head.

Ah... well... yes...

Laugh. And speak gently...

Kindness towards you begins with you.

Invite your WIOH to the table instead of ignoring her. Pass her a donut-she won’t refuse- she’s no Jillian Michaels.

Recently I attended a Skill Swap workshop in York, PA. The topic focus- Organization and Implementation of an effective To-Do List –an ability I chase with the speed of a three legged giraffe.

I refrained from bumping the heel of my hand against my forehead in V-8 clarity as our mentor, J.J. Sheffer offered several applicable tips and concepts.

Her wisdom caught, hooked, and sank into my needy brain. ‘There are successes in every failed attempt.’

My head bobbled in a ‘I get it’ ‘Of course’ ‘What a great idea’ manner as I furiously jotted notes in a binder I’d misplace soon after.

‘There are successes in every failed attempt.’

Women often view new implementations as Pass/Fail. We’re brutally critical and are quick to scrutinize, and when something doesn’t turn out ‘just right’ we scrap the entire lot.

.

TRUTH: a ‘near miss’ still offers glimmers of success ~unless you’re making pastry. I find little forgiveness in the realm of baking.

Even in our overzealous resolution mindset, there are successes in every Pass/Fail.

If you exerted yourself physically and didn’t end up in the emergency room, you’re healthy enough to try again perhaps at a modified distance or pace.

If the smoothie replaced an absence nutrient infusion in your morning routine, wonderful! Modify the ingredients and perhaps tread lightly when adding new forms of leafy greens.

I recently fell from the wagon of an extreme eating practice. The horses noticed my tumble from the cart and helpfully circled back to roll over me a few more times.

In a two hour period of temporary insanity, I consumed food groups I hadn’t touched in years.

I considered calling the producers of ‘Snapped’ but figured unless my binge ended with sensational violence or devastation, televisions’ mainstream audience would be unimpressed with my lack of caloric control.

Women are fabulously gifted at berating a slipup in our intentional practice.

We’re masters at ending our day with a BOLD printed list of unaccomplished tasks.

Try for a moment to step back for a moment and address your ‘Not checked off’ ‘Forgotten’ ‘Didn’t turn out the way I envisioned’ end result with kindness and a bit of levity.

Even with fresh wagon wheel imprints on my torso, I didn’t allow my WIOH free reign. Her cruel dialog fell silent.

A triumphant personal victory, Whoop!

I shrugged off the occurrence for what it was an interesting two hours and went back to work.

Can you laugh in the face of frustration and focus on TRUTH.

Imagine for a moment opening the clothes washer to discover each white garment has been transformed to a cheerful Bubblicious shade of pink.

TRUTH: It’s pink laundry. Correcting your momentary Pass/Fail will cost you an hour of your life and a bit of bleach.

I’m a graduate in laundry debacles. I throw away stained shirts. I’ve never pretreated a day in my life.

My dear friend, Tonya, understands a stain stick, while simple, isn’t the answer and instead introduced me to scarves.

Scarves: A fashion foreword accessory which no one will mistake for what it is, a bib.

“Scarves hide a wealth of sins,” Tonya says, “A fashion must for women over forty.”

I agree.

Cheaper than perpetual wardrobe replacement, scarves are a lovely blender of Pass/Fail when it comes to ruined shirts.

Smile and enjoy the TRUTH which is uniquely YOU.

My eighty year old friend, Rose, sits every Friday in her Velcro rollers beneath the hood dryer.

She sips black coffee and thumbs through the complex recipes showcased in Bon Appetite magazine.

Rose hasn’t used her stove for anything other than boiling water for more then a decade.

She reads the ingredients and fussy prep for a dish she’ll never taste then says “Laura, you’ll make it this week and report back.”

I’m grateful she’s not serious.

I love to cook but have never excelled at following written directions.

Rose is a Goddess whose life has embraced simplicity, observed beauty, known love, withstood heartbreak, and endured the ridiculousness of reality TV.

Her quiet grace and secure-in-herself spirit appeals to me.

She's a woman who knows there’s no true Pass/Fail, only shades of learning.

“Denmark Potatoes,” Rose taps the page with her fuchsia manicure. “You’ll make these this week,” she smiles and adds, “better yet, let’s just fly to Denmark and taste them there.”

TRUTH: The world’s constantly adopting a new behavior or cleanse.

Jump on the wagon or not, your choice. But mind the wheels if you slip off and find yourself face down in the muddy ruts.

I’m at the front of the line when it comes to learning to celebrate the magic of a midnight reset.

Each day I’m gifted to walk upon this earth presents opportunity and as you knoiw,