December 21 – Future Self. Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?) (Author: Jenny Blake)

Five years from now. My kids are almost 11 and almost 14. I am going through menopause, so I am meditating every five minutes because not only are my hormones out of whack, I have a teenage daughter.

OK, whoa. Five years from now I want to be taking on writing that I like and asking for exactly what I deserve. We take a great family trip every year and I went to Italy last year. I’ll let the kids imagine for themselves what their future selves are like. Chris and I are both excellent cooks and we hike and bike a ton as a family. I do meditate and practice yoga and I still run. This person would tell the current me to keep working on being calm, practice your meditation and yoga as often as possible and run like the wind. Start asking for the money you want now and turning down all the work that doesn’t pay what you want or fit your writing goals. Keep seeing the beauty in people and let go of all that judgment and frustration. And keep going with that daily gratitude list. It is changing your life for sure.