Have you ever eaten an elephant?

January is the month of resolutions. Many folks start setting out their goals and then decide how to attain them. Many have already started on January 1st and have given up getting on the scale or walking 10,000 steps.

All these goals for the first month of the year remind me of what Desmond Tutu once wisely said that “there is only one way to eat an elephant, one bite at a time.”

So, I'm wondering what your elephant might be this year?

The first question to ask yourself is, "is it my elephant?" If you're losing weight for someone else or trying to change to make someone else happy, maybe it's not an elephant you want to eat at all.

Secondly, are you ready to live with your elephant for a while? Elephants are big. Have you named yours? Naming something makes it real, and this huge big elephant needs a name.

Is it named, "A Book", "A new website", "Being Healthy", "A new career?" Take out a piece of paper and draw your elephant. Use some crayons and give it some sparkly. I found my elephant above on Canva. Love the toenail polish.

My third question is what are the bites I'm going to eat. For walkers, it may be # of steps, for a new career, send out 2 resumes. My elephant says tell folks about authoring their life in 26 ways. Like Lisa Koenecke and Cheryl Porior-Mayhew...that's the alphabet....26 letters.

So I opened my journal page and wrote the ABCs down the left column and began: A is for Authoring, Authenticity, Action, Accountability B is for Belief, Baby, Babbling, Breathe I think you get the idea.

Then I need to decide how big a bite I'm going to take. If I write 4 pages on the letter I'll have 4 x 26 pages or over 100 pages done. I might write on 2 per letter so I'll have 8 x 26 or over 200 pages done.

Lastly, how fast am I going to eat this elephant? I could have my elephant eaten in 26 days/52 days or maybe I want to eat very slowly and be done in 26 weeks.

Now I have a plan.

St. Francis of Assisi also sums up how to eat an elephant. “Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”

Tomorrow I’m starting to eat my elephant.

Will you join me? What’s your elephant named? Can you send me a picture of your elephant?

Hugs. Be Safe. You Matter. Mary Helen www.yourheartdreams.com