For Christmas, we bought our Labradoodle dog a special bone … a very large bone. When we put it up next to her, it measured half the length of her. We thought she’d be in doggie heaven with that gargantuan treat. However, after nearly two weeks, she barely touched it.

My daughter suggested the size was too overwhelming, so I cut it in half. Surprisingly, our dog took the half and chewed on the rawhide until she stopped to take a nap. Who would have thought too much of a good thing would be so paralyzing.

It reminds me of the saying, “Don’t bite off more than you can chew.” How easy it is for us to do that in life.

We take on large tasks thinking it will be fantastic, only to find that we’ve overcommitted and are now overwhelmed. Or maybe we set too many expectations for ourselves that we can never live up to.

So how can we make sure we don’t get in over our heads?

*Be honest about your limits and respect them

*Learn to say yes to the most important things and willing to say no to the rest

And  … understand that bigger isn’t always better!

What is it about a new year that prompts everyone to set new goals, commit to do better, or implement something new? There is nothing magical about January 1 as it’s just simply a marker in time to start fresh.

What if we looked at each day as a fresh start? Not just on the first of the year, but every day. How different would life be? It boils down to perspective and approach.

Often we get stuck in looking at each day as another day to live out the routine of the previous day doing the same tasks as the day before. But what if we viewed each day as a new beginning, a chance for discovering something new, and an opportunity to move closer to a goal?

Regardless if our daily tasks are the same, there are still new beginnings and opportunities waiting to be discovered every day. So give it a try. Dare to step out of the routine. Discover. Thrive!

A few weeks ago, my stomach was topsy-turvy as I paced the floor nervously waiting to leave the house. What will it be like? How will it be set up? One would have thought I was getting ready to step on stage in front of millions of people. No–just getting ready to head to my first painting class.

I’ve always wanted to learn how to paint, but never did anything to pursue it. I dabbled in painting pottery at a studio, but found I got bogged down in details and spent half the time just contemplating, not knowing where to begin with my ideas.

Finally last month, I took the plunge and signed myself up for a painting class. The day arrived for the first class and I couldn’t believe my nerves as I felt like a child on their first day of kindergarten not knowing what to expect.

I survived the first class and actually had a blast! Each week I go with more confidence and a little more understanding that painting has little to do with details and more to do with values, shapes, and impressionistic viewpoints. For one who is detailed-oriented and a concrete thinker, painting stretches me. That is exactly what I wanted.

As we get older and parenting duties consume our focus, we think less and less of interests we want to pursue or we find it’s been a long time since we’ve stretched ourselves to try something new. It’s easy to get into a routine and just remain status quo. But there is so much more to life to explore than just keeping it … safe.

I didn’t know if I would be a horrible painter or not, but I didn’t care – I just wanted to try. In just a short time of painting, my eyes have already been opened to new perspectives. Angles. Composition. Depth. They are not found in the status quo.

What is it you’ve always wanted to learn? Sign yourself up and go for it!