Have you chosen a theme for 2017?

I know it sounds corny, but trust me: if you do it right, setting a theme for the year can have such a positive impact. 

I've been doing this for the last few years. I've found it to be a fun and helpful encapsulation of what I want the new year to bring.

Having a theme for the year, in the form of a special word, a motto, theme song or image can help to keep you in touch with your goals and dreams, and guide you in your decisions and choices this year.

What is your theme for 2017?

To help you choose, ask yourself: how do I want to feel this year?

I was having a lot of trouble choosing mine last year.... Nothing seemed to capture how I wanted to feel in the forthcoming year.... Until I checked into Halcyon House on 2 January for my honeymoon - and there was my theme for 2016 staring me in the face!!!

 Halcyon is my new favourite word, and perfectly captured the joy and peace I wanted (and needed!) to create in my life in 2016. And it was an extremely helpful touchstone throughout the year as I focussed on eliminating the very small number of situations and people in my life who were causing a disproportionate amount of disruption. It reminded me to enforce personal boundaries when acquaintances wanted to drag me into their drama and conflict, and to step away from unnecessary debate. In short, my theme for 2016 helped me make choices that allowed me to enjoy a much more peaceful and serene year, and has left me convinced that having a theme for the year can be an incredibly helpful tool if we put some careful thought into it - and keep it in mind throughout the year!

So, what do you want to feel this year? How can you encapsulate that in a word, a song, a quote, an image or anything else that you can keep in mind as you choose your way through 2017?

Oh, and my theme for 2017? It's a quote actually...

My theme for 2017 is the quote by Stephen Covey: "The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing." I chose it for a couple of reasons... Firstly, I have a HUGE 2017 ahead and I need to make sure I don't fritter away my time on mindless, unproductive, unnecessary stuff (that means you Facebook!!!!). I also chose it to remind me of what is truly important in my life: the people I love, and not to let business or stress or unimportant people or situations take away from spending my time with the people I love, showing them I care and creating happy memories with them.