Every day we wake up to a clean slate. I like to think of it as a new page in the book of life. I have days that I want to go back and edit and I have days that I wish to recreate. Since life does not come with a Delete button or Copy application, we reflect back on what worked and what didn’t and we move forward with knowledge.

Knowledge is powerful. From a young age we are taught to read and write and continue exercising our brains. When we are in grade school, middle school and even high school we are told what to read and our parents signed us up for the sports and extracurriculars that they had high hopes for us to be good at. Fast forward to our 20s and 30s we form bonds with people in the communities that we work with and where our kids go to school. Throughout all of these activities we are figuring out what we are good at, what activities stimulate us and what individuals bring out the best in us. Throughout all of these activities we are finding our better.

I did a lot of “should”ing in my 20s. “I should go to that party”. “I should run 8 miles today”. Don’t get me wrong. I had a blast. Fast forward to my 30s when my family was growing rapidly and I was “should”ing myself to parties, to drinks and to workouts. I started to burn-out and I had to change my ways in order for me to continue finding my better. Something clicked and I realized that in order for me to feel really good I had to move forward doing activities that I really wanted to be doing. My better is different than your better. My better is doing what I want to be doing. My better is when I am doing something that lights me up and energizes me to keep moving forward. Often times we lose sight of what it is that we like to be doing based on our day to day to-dos. I understand that it is not realistic to think that we are always doing what we want to be doing and to be where we want to be at all times. What is realistic is to carve out time for ourselves. Life goes beyond our jobs and to-do lists. Believe it or not, life is here to be fully enjoyed the way that you want to live it. Finding your better means figuring out a way to carve out time for you to accomplish your personal goals no matter what they are.

This year, I will find my better taking baby steps. In the past, I have done a lot of jumping (literally diving in to deep and cold water...love it!), sprinting (literally in the pool or on the track), diving (literally out of a plane), etc. But this year is for exploring and experimenting. I look forward to trying new things one step at a time. I look forward to “trying things on” and seeing how they fit before committing fully. My better looks different than yours. How are you going to find your better this year?