Dare to Leap

As one year ends and another begins, we recount the memories and experiences we’ve had and look toward January with a thrill of hope, eager to make good on the promises we’ve made for the year ahead. The year 2020 is particularly special — it’s a brand new decade, and it kicks off with a bang: it’s a leap year, giving all of us an extra day to become the people we want to be.

When the year is still new, it’s easy to be energized by the resolutions we’ve created. In fact, each of our lives probably look drastically different than they did just two short weeks ago; there’s something about a fresh start that spurs us to action.

On a smaller scale, though, the start of each month signals a new beginning, presenting us the opportunity to accomplish new tasks, follow new household budgets, begin new work projects, and plan new family events. Truly, we get the chance to start all over again each week, each day, each hour — even each minute. This revelation might feel a little intimidating, but it’s a huge sigh of relief that we can improve our habits and change our behaviors and make new goals at any moment. But why not start now?

The theme for this magazine is Dare to Leap, and appropriately so. For some, this phrase will give us the ability to try something that might initially scare us, and for others, it may cause us to retreat in fear. After all, the definition of dare is to “have the courage to do something; or defy or challenge to do something.” We’re challenged to be brave this year, leaping into the changes we’ve committed to, but also by leaping into the unknown.

So often we want to start something we’ve tried before, like working out throughout the week. There’s a reason the gym is packed each January; we’re all motivated by our big plans, but our dreams often give way to the realities of our days, whether that’s traveling for work or keeping up with the kiddos at home. It can be scary to start over again, and scarier still to try something we’ve never tried before. Sometimes tackling our greatest fear pushes us over the edge into the unknown, letting us leap into the brave new world of eating well or exercising often or building our savings. Embrace it!

“If you’re not living on the edge, you’re taking up too much space.” - Jim Whittaker (The first American to summit Mt. Everest)

As 2020 begins, look at the thing that scares you silly, and go after it with all you have. There are thousands of self-help tips out there to help you achieve your goals, like setting milestones, announcing your plans publicly, and outlining your progress; whatever works best for you, do that. We find the quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson appropriate: “Do the thing you fear, and the death of fear is certain.”Yes, the death of fear is certain when we dare to leap into this new year and new start, diving head-first into the unknown and who we are and who we can become. Decide what you goals you want to accomplish or habits or behaviors you want to alter and watch what happens in the coming year, and the next decade, when you completely welcome the radical changes needed to make your life better — we dare you.