In thinking about what the beginning of a new year means for each of us, I observed that we always seem to either be ramping up or ramping down from something in our lives. This is especially true for consultants and business owners who struggle with balance. Have YOU ever noticed this pattern in your life?

For example, we decide at the beginning of one year that we are feeling really ambitious and are getting ready to give our all to the new initiatives that have been stewing within us and we’ve been waiting to execute. That’s our “ramp up”. We are making the decision to bring our full focus and energy to some things in our lives. We are coming at those things with full steam and expect to see quick and impactful results from our hard work.

Then, there’s the “ramp down”. The “ramp down” year seems to happen when we have been working on something (or multiple things) with everything we’ve got over some period of time, and we are tired! We have worked ourselves to the point of exhaustion this year and need to plan some restful activities to rejuvenate us and refresh and minds and bodies. And then, there are times stuff just happens in life and we don’t have any control over it. We have to take the lesson for what it is and move on.

Such is life, right? We have ups and downs, ebs and flows with everything. It’s true. But, I think there’s two things we can take away from acknowledging and embracing this fact.

First, it may be helpful to think about where your life is this year and what you expect things to look like. If you know your goals will need all the energy you can muster this year, it’s your “ramp up” year! Embrace that and plan for it! Create a reasonable schedule. Be clear on your expectations for results. If you aren’t clear, you could find yourself doing a whole lot of “busy work” for nothing. Decide what you will give yourself as a reward for all that work!  Having a why is what keeps us going! The same is true for the “ramp down”. Be clear on how you’ll wind down from what you’ve been doing during your “ramp up”. Decide what you’d like to cut down on or eliminate from your life and what you’d like to keep. Make conscious choices on how you’ll use your time and space to bring yourself into a more rested state to get ready for the next thing you want to initiate in your life.

Second, do your best to develop balance and the ebs and flows we experience in life will have less of an impact on whether or not you achieve your goals! By continuously building downtime and energizing activities into our lives, we stoke the fire that keeps our ambitions alive. Sure, it’s easier said than done. But, if we are intentional about paying attention to this, we empower ourselves to thrive no matter what comes our way in life.

Whatever your goals / purpose are for this year, be intentional, have a plan, and enjoy all the rewards life will surely send your way!

*this information does not take the place of medical treatment