December starts this weekend. For me, December is a very special time of the year. I like to take a lot of time off work. Spending quality time with my family and reflecting and planning and thinking and savoring.

There is a typical list of things I do each year. Places we visit, books that I finally get to, movies we watch, stuff we cook, etc. I also work on my December Daily album every day. But this year, I want to be even more conscious of the way I spend my magical month (as I like to call it.)

I want to really savor the moments and make conscious choices about how to use my time. I want to make sure to spend all of it guilt-free. I want to have no expectations of getting anything “done.” I want to really be present with my family. Be mindful of my attitude, my words, my mood in general. I may or may not be able to have the luxury of taking a lot of December off next year (or any other time in the future.) But I do have it now and I want to savor all that comes with. I have two kids who are still young enough to love the magic of the holidays. I have a husband whose work setup allows him to take time off and be flexible as well. These are not things I want to take for granted.

I want to greet each day with joy and gratitude. And end each day feeling full and content. I want to live every single day. This doesn’t mean I fill them with things to do. It just means I am right here, right now in this moment, all day, every day. This is something I am going to focus on for all of 2013 and it’s related to my word for next year, but I want to adopt it even before we begin the new year.

I want to focus on not splitting my attention. Not thinking about other stuff while I am doing something. Not stressing over the urgent and neglecting the important. Not worrying about what might happen and missing the magic of what is, in the process.

Savoring is all about that. To truly make the most of this moment, I have to be present in it. I have to pay attention to it and really live it. That’s one of the reasons I do December Daily. Knowing that I will create a page about this day makes me pay better attention to it. Makes me not “waste” it. Helps me notice the small things alongside the big ones.

Life changes so often and so quickly. Sometimes in small ways, other times in much bigger ways. Many of these changes are not even in our control. So instead of trying to worry over or control the future, I want to make sure December is all about savoring this magical time and our luck of being able to spend it together and being healthy and safe.

These little memories and moments are the bread and butter of life, if you ask me. And they are not to be glossed over. They are not to be wasted. They are to be cherished.

Savored.

I know I have likely written about this before but it’s fascinating to me how often certain patterns come up again and again in my life. It seems like certain lessons need to be learned again and again. Even when you know they work, you get into this state where it’s as if you are new to it all. And you’re surprised all over again.

Starting is one of those patterns for me.

I know from experience that there’s magic in starting. If there’s a new routine you want to add into your life, you just need to start. If you want to learn something new, you just need to start. If you want to change a behavior, you just need to start. If you had an idea that you’ve been holding on to for years, you just need to start. If you’re afraid, you just need to start. If you’re scared, you just need to start. If you don’t know what you’re doing, you just need to start.

You just need to start.

There’s magic in starting. It’s as if the world is watching and as you start, it changes shape to align to your wishes. To your goals. Things just tend to unfold. And as the obstacles come up, there’s enough force behind your momentum that you can conquer them.

This is not to say you need to go all in. You don’t need to quit your job, leave your family, move out of the country, or do anything drastic. You can start small. Tiny, even. Seeds don’t become trees overnight. They take time lay roots, connect with the earth and grow slowly. Deliberately.

It may take a long, long time for a seed to become a tree. But if you don’t start the process, it will never, ever actually become one. And much of the process might feel incredibly slow but once the seed is in the ground, magic is happening. Things are moving.

Only once the seed is in the ground. Once the first step is taken. However big or small.

I’ve seen this again and again in my life. The one day I decided to get up and exercise changed my whole life. Back then, I didn’t think “I will exercise every single day for two years.” I had never exercised before. I couldn’t even run to the end of the block. Let alone a 5K. I had been carrying my excess “pregnancy” weight around for seven years. I didn’t have an end goal in mind.

I just started.

I got up and exercised. The next day, I did it again. And again. And again. Until my streak got long enough for me to believe in it and not want to quit. Until I was able to run a 5K without faling apart. Once I conquered the five straight months, it became easy to keep going for the sixth. It only happened cause I started. Because instead of spending the next morning sitting on the couch, annoyed about my inability to tackle my weight/health issue, I actually took a walk. I did something about it. One tiny thing.

I started.

Trust me when I say there’s magic in starting. You might be a planner, a todo list maker, an adventurer, a dreamer, or someone who just likes to see how things go. It doesn’t matter if there is a long term plan or not.

All that matters is that you start. You take that one, tiny step today.

Right now.

Do not wait.

Start.

I am confident you won’t regret it.