With a new year fast approaching it's time to think about what we want to accomplish and make lists of lofty goals that we may or may not achieve. I caught the tail end of an interview this weekend with a woman who was diagnosed with cancer that resonated with me. She talked about how her cancer scare made her realize that she needed to experience more and move outside her comfort zone. So she made it her mission to try something new and find different ways to change her usual routines by making small changes. She gave an example where instead of taking the train home one day, she decided to walk and marveled at all the wonderful places she got to see as a result. Her point was to begin and shift one's perspective in small ways.  I have the tendency to think that significant growth can only be accomplished with big lofty goals, only to be disappointed when they don't materialize. So this year I'm going to do things differently and make smaller changes more often and not wait for the big events in life to find personal satisfaction. I'll try a new shade of lipstick, not have Tuesday taco night every week, take a different route home, read mysteries instead of histories, drink a cocktail not Riesling and play in the snow instead of sitting by the fire. Move out of the comfort zone and challenge myself in small ways. Stagnation can result when we hang onto the same rituals and habits we have successfully created for ourselves in order to control our world and create a predictable, safe life.  Maybe Bill Murray's character in the movie "What About Bob?" had the right idea, with his "baby steps" approach toward overcoming fear and achieving a better you.