((Read left to right, top to bottom. Cards featured from The Steampunk Tarot by Moore and Fell.))

3…2…1…HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Finally! The holidays are over and we are ready for a new year to begin! We make plans, and promises,  and resolutions…and we break, disregard, or forget each and every one of them as January moves forward.

The cards above warn us of the usual trappings – too much passion to move forward without enough careful consideration, or planning. We set ourselves up for failure right from the start, and find ourselves frustrated and disappointed with our lack of success.

The New Year looks quite promising and good things are awaiting us; with careful thought and planning, we can go forward with purposeful strides to success. New ideas are awesome, and passionate enthusiasm is certainly welcome, but realistic planning is important as well. Our reading reminds us to take time to consider the following:

What do you want to do in 2016? What are your goals?

• Do you want to lose weight? How much?
• Do you want to change jobs? How quickly?
• Do you want to further your career? To what level?
• Do you want to continue your education? In what area?

What is your time frame? Is it reasonable to your current life?

• What are your family responsibilities?
• What is your workload?
• Do you have the free time or flexibility to change your schedule? 

Are your goals flexible?

• Will six months work? Will 18 months be more realistic?
• If you need more than you realized (books, classes, lessons, etc), can you adjust your “start” position? Can you adjust the definition of success?
• If you find yourself in clear pursuit of the wrong goal, can you change the pathway to a new goal without feeling you have failed? 
• If you find your goal to be “too easy” or unsatisfying, can you expand upon it?

Speaking for myself, I will be returning to regular yoga classes; I will start with two a week, and add as I progress. Days, times and teachers are flexible, so I should have no difficult finding a good fit for my current (busy!) schedule or (slacker!) level. I know the benefits will be far-reaching (more relaxed, more fit, more in touch, more in tune), and I can build on it (meditation, chanting) as the year progresses.

What will you be doing in 2016? Whatever it is, best of luck!!

((All images courtesy of Google Images.))