I hope that you all had a joyous and wonderful Holiday Season!  It’s hard to believe that it is already 2013!

2012 was a big year for me – including getting married to the best man I know, launching a new website and brand (www.broadviewcoaching.com), and doing all the preparation to launch a series of brand new programs to support aspiring and emerging entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses. (see below about the upcoming Free Speakers Series – The Courageous Entrepreneurial Leap – launching on January 21st)  After a long break over the Holidays, I am so excited to launch into not only a new year but a new era!

Many people feared that the end of the Mayan calendar would mean doomsday to us all.  I’ve read a lot about the symbolism of the end of this era through the writings of many spiritual teachers and metaphysical leaders.  I also have experienced an interesting trend among my clients that has helped me form my own conclusions about what is emerging in our world.  Despite the thousands of applications and devices available now to keep us connected, there is an overarching theme that people are craving a deeper connection to their family, friends, colleagues and community.    There is definitely a shift emerging and I believe that we are shifting from the Age of Technology to the Age of Consciousness.  Technology has helped us get so far, and simultaneously, it has created a frenetic energy that some people are starting to reject in our culture.  In the past few months, I have had many clients quit Facebook, choose to turn their iPhones off when they come home at night, or self impose a “zero screen time” policy on the weekends when they turn off their iPhones, iPads, Computers and TVs.  I’ve also had more clients than ever (whether they be Corporate Execs, Business Owners, Wealth Managers, CPAs, Coaches or Consultants) take vacations where they were literally “off the grid” for the very first time in a decade and reporting that they truly connected with their spouses, families and self in a whole new way.

I believe this new age is not about rejecting technology, but engaging with it in a different way that allows us to turn off the busy switch in our lives and sink into our “being-ness” in a way that has been challenging in the last decade.  Over the weekend, while off the grid at Lake Almanor, my friends and I were talking about the days before answering machines and even email.  Business found a way to be done; profits were still made; and, frankly, life balance was a lot easier to manage.  Now, to have that balance, we need to be more mindful and make a conscious choice to make clearer boundaries.  What will you do this year to be more connected and balanced?  I’d love to hear from you!