As you read this I will be opening the clinic for the first time in 2012.  I’ve had a great fortnight off but I have to admit I was itching to get back to work.

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These first couple of weeks of the new year are already busy.  I’ve a fully booked appointments book and I have to finish putting the final touches to my Foundation course before handing it in for final approval. How exciting! I’m hoping to have the course up and running by the end of this year, but I’m making no promises, either to myself or anyone else.  2011 threw me a ton of curveballs that I really wasn’t expecting (the invitation to become a Foundation course tutor for starters!), and my biggest mistake of the year was to try and continue with the Big Plan regardless of all the twists and turns on the way.

So this year I’m learning from those lessons and allowing myself to be a lot more flexible.  In the words of my beloved Dupree: “stay loose, stay liquid, laugh a lot.” I have no big plans, no big ambitions, no monumental life changing goals. There are a few vague plans – an Indian Head Massage course, a holiday in Yorkshire in February and an inevitable house move but other than that I’m flowing with the river!

That said, a few posts ago I mentioned The Spending Diet.  I don’t know if you read And Then She Saved, but the blog author Anna put herself on a Spending Fast to clear off all her debt in 15 months.  The Fast is too much for me.  I don’t work like that.  If I set myself up for huge huge life changes or massive restrictions I inevitably fail and then feel even more awful.  But the various ups and downs of 2011 have seen me with quite a bit more on the credit card than I would like and so Spending Diet it is.  I’ll keep you posted!

So 2012, let’s do this.  What have you got in store for me?

Any goals for the new year you’d like to share?

If you’re in the UK, there’s a few hours to go until the New Year, if you’re in Australia it’s already happened and if you’re in the States you’ve still got most of the rest of the day to wait. And if the Mayans were right, this could be it (either that or they simply ran out of numbers).

Whatever, it seems that 2011 has been a crazy year for everyone I know, both on- and off-line.  I for one have had some stunning highs and some breathtaking lows!  Bring on 2012 – and if London can make it through the Olympic Games, we can all make it through anything.

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Have a very happy New Year dear readers and for your pleasure I give you my 12 favourite posts of 2011.

In January, in an attempt to be healthy, I made vegan carrot muffins.

In February, I took my gloves off about having M.E.

In March, I got a poem published and got all nostalgic about a letter from an agent .

In April, I did things in Sydney I’d never got to do before.

In May, I waxed lyrical on running.

In June, I turned 37.

In July, I made you a present.

In August, I made a little podcast about self-employment and my tips to smoothing the path towards it.

In September, I wrote about maggots and anxiety attacks.

In October, I asked you to be kind to yourselves.

In November, I told you a few things you might not know.

And in December, I likened Jared Leto to a yoga class.

Oh and as a bonus 13th – I love rock stars and soft furnishings.

You may remember, readers, last December when I took part in Reverb10 – a journal prompt each day of the month to reflect on the year gone by.  This year Reverb has taken on a more DIY feel. There is no formal set of prompts but, instead, there are ideas for prompts all over the internet. Debbie is doing some lovely ones, but this week I’m stealing five prompts from Catherine.

Let’s go.

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1. Where did 2011 begin?

Curled up at home with Himself, drinking Prosecco on our big purple sofa.  I had a cold (I always have a cold at New Year) and we were nervously excited at the grand opening of the clinic in just ten short days. Nearly a year on it’s hard to believe the clinic has only been open a year – it seems like I’ve been doing this forever, in a good way. All of the New Year’s Eves Himself and I have been together (and this coming one will be the sixth), have been spent together alone in quiet contemplation.  To be honest I wouldn’t have it any other way.

2. Who did you meet?

Oh so many amazing people! In Sydney I met Stella for one wonderful night of Yin Yoga in the rain.  In Melbourne I had lunch with Kerry and Nadine and had the second best day ever up a mountain with Svasti.  The best day ever was spent on the Neighbours tour where I met Nell Feeney (aka Queen of the Bogans).

I finally met my cousin’s little miracle baby in Melbourne as well; Alex is now 2, proudly calls himself ‘Agus’ and fell head over heels for Himself.

I also met a unimaginable number of fabulous clients without whom my business would not and could not have been the success it has been.

I didn’t meet Dave Grohl.  Again.

3. What books did you read?

I started the year by reading the Narnia books back to back in practically one sitting and I’m finishing up the year with Stephen King’s latest 11.22.63 (if the words’ Derry’ and ‘1958′ mean anything to you, then you absolutely have to read this book – also that link contains spoilers). In between I re-read the Baghavad Gita, the Upanishads, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras and the Rig Veda.  Himself and I read The Time Traveller’s Wife along with a lot of other bloggers. I finally got around to reading Joe Hill’s Heart-Shaped Box (he’s Mr King’s son in case you didn’t know) and wasn’t remotely disappointed and Maupin Armistead’s Tales of the City and was terribly disappointed.  I read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo on the plane home from Australia and didn’t really get what the fuss was about and I read a couple of books about cats.  According to my Goodreads profile I have read 45 books in 2011, which is 5 less than last year but 10 more than 2009.  I judge my health by the number of books I read, the more I read the better I’m feeling so that’ll do pig.

4.  When did you struggle?

That said, I struggled with my health this year.  Really struggled.  The tension headaches drove me to distraction through a lot of this year, I’ve had tonsilitis three times and I cannot tell you how exhausted I’ve been.  There is a downside to your business taking off so well – still, I’m better prepared for the onwards and upwards in 2012!  I struggled with giving up wheat and eating meat. I struggled my way through Pilates Teacher Training, knowing in the back of my head that I’d bitten off a little bit more than I could chew this time (still, I did it so can’t complain).  I really struggled upon my return from Australia, it took me months to get back into the swing of things and stop missing everyone so very badly.  Yeah, this year’s been tough – but what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger right?!

5. What did you discover?

I discovered that flying 12,000 miles is always totally worth it and I mustn’t leave it 6 years before I do it again.  I discovered that cups of tea and pieces of cake and a lot of love will get you through pretty much anything.  I discovered that I’m a bloody good businesswoman, with much better people skills than I give myself credit for.  I discovered that the BWY think I’m worthy of teaching teachers. I discovered that my health is still not great and I really need to accept that more and stop comparing myself to people who’s health is good.  I discovered I don’t have to be bad with money and I discovered my own path and the best way of walking it.

It’s been a big year.