525,600 minutes...

I am thinking about how best to use the 525,600 minutes that make up 2012. Admittedly, I've already frittered away at least 2,880 of them. It's only January 4, but I spent most of January 1 and 2 as a sofa spud, having enjoyed the last few days of 2011 celebrating life and love and friendship to thoroughly.

After the anticlimax of that ten-second countdown to midnight each year, when -- in spite of decades of dashed hopes -- I still continue to expect something magical to happen, I really do love the beginning of a new year. Like a new pair of boots or a new haircut, it's more than just another day -- it's the promise of a fresh start, and it never ceases to invigorate me. And clearly, as you have to wait in line for a treadmill at the local gym only during the month of January, I am not alone in this feeling.

But by mid-year (if not before), many of our good intentions have fallen away, and we settle back into old, comfortable, familiar routines. So how do we harness the energy of the new year, or any other catalyst for change that comes our way, so that we can continue to remain motivated to achieve our dreams?

The things that motivate each of us can be different, but I like to start with a word -- a word that demands thought or action or reminds me of where it is I want my dreams to take me. Rather than a list of resolutions, which can be too long and specific and daunting, my word is the common thread in all that I try to accomplish in a given year.

My words for the past four years have been health, wealth, believe, and authentic. Each has served me well in different ways, and has made me faithful to this practice. I worried about announcing my word this year, because it is one that I think can be perceived very negatively, for women in particular. But I have my reasons and my personal interpretation of what this word means to me and how it will guide me. I almost changed it for a second runner up word at the last minute, but (at the risk of sounding very flaky right now), this word just keeps coming back to me... my word for 2012 is POWER. -- I know, right? It sounds like I am aiming for world domination or something, but that's not quite what I envision.

I'd love to know how you experience the new year, and if you have a word, or another form of resolution or intention, please share it!