Today is New Year's Eve. It's often a time of reflection and review. What did we learn in the past year? What lessons do we carry into the new year? What will we do differently? For what are we thankful? What was the most challenging? From whom did we get help? To what are we looking forward in the new year? If you were to put a word on 2019 (perhaps what you long for in the new year or what you'll work on), what might it be?
My fiancé, two friends and I do this together each New Year's Eve. We reflect on the year past and look ahead to what might be coming or what we hope will be coming in the new year. We each select a word for the new year, writing it on a stone so we'll remember all year long. It's interesting how having that stone in sight increases intention throughout the year.
While I won't be writing blogs in this new year (I need the time I spend writing them to do other writing and sorting projects), I encourage you to sample the archive of my past blogs going back to 2012. I also encourage you to sign up for my monthly ezine if you haven't already. You may sign up to the right of this blog. All you will receive are the initial three free gifts that come in your email inbox and an ezine once a month to your inbox. That's it. Nothing more.
I encourage you to stay hopeful and grounded in this new year. To that end, I leave you with this blessing for now:
The path before me: May I walk it in peace.
The path behind me: May I leave it in peace.
The path within me: O God, may it be peace indeed.
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label review. Show all posts
Monday, December 31, 2018
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Life in the rear-view mirror
It's best to spend most of your time living in the present—and, of course, some planning what's coming next. But at this time of year, when we pass from one year into the next, a little time looking in the rear-view mirror is good, too.
Take some time to look back over the past year and ask yourself which events stand out for you. What did you learn from them? How have you been changed by those events and by your response to them? What attitudes and resources do you want to carry forward into this new year? Are there things you need to leave behind? Friends? Old messages? Do you need to leave a job that's just dragging you down to the point that nothing you do to fill yourself up can counteract its negative effects?
This is a good time to look back—and look ahead. It will make the present ever so much better if you've reflected on what has happened and what you learned from it and if you have some intention about what might or should happen and how you will approach it. As always, it's good to plan what's ahead, knowing that things can be changed and you'll need to remain flexible. After all, "life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." Still, it's good to make the plans. But make them in a way that takes into account how you have changed because of last year's events and experiences.
Perhaps you can set aside some time this weekend to do a review of 2012 and anticipate 2013. Once that's done, you can focus more clearly on right now, this moment!
Take some time to look back over the past year and ask yourself which events stand out for you. What did you learn from them? How have you been changed by those events and by your response to them? What attitudes and resources do you want to carry forward into this new year? Are there things you need to leave behind? Friends? Old messages? Do you need to leave a job that's just dragging you down to the point that nothing you do to fill yourself up can counteract its negative effects?
This is a good time to look back—and look ahead. It will make the present ever so much better if you've reflected on what has happened and what you learned from it and if you have some intention about what might or should happen and how you will approach it. As always, it's good to plan what's ahead, knowing that things can be changed and you'll need to remain flexible. After all, "life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." Still, it's good to make the plans. But make them in a way that takes into account how you have changed because of last year's events and experiences.
Perhaps you can set aside some time this weekend to do a review of 2012 and anticipate 2013. Once that's done, you can focus more clearly on right now, this moment!
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
An alternative to resolutions
Do you make resolutions for the new year? Do you keep them? Some statistics say that 25 percent of people drop their resolutions within the first week of the year—and 36 percent ditch them within the first month. After six months 54 percent have not maintained their resolutions.
Having said that, it’s also true that making resolutions is better than not making them—if you want to reach goals in your life.
Give the year a name
Here’s another alternative: Consider doing an informal review at the end of the year or the start of a new year. Include a look back at the past year to see what was good and not so good. Reflect on the past year’s highlights (and lowlights!) and what you learned from them. Then look ahead to imagine what might happen in the coming year. What would you like to have happen? What manageable goals can you set—and what small steps can you take to get there? Reflect on what strengths and resources you have (include your own skills and strengths and think about family and friends) that you take with you into the year that will help you get what you most want.
Then think about what name you might give to the coming year: a single word or perhaps a short phrase. What word or phrase might you hold in front of you that will energize you and fuel your passion in the coming year?
Two friends and I have done this on New Year’s Eve for 10 years now, and in the past three my fiancé has joined in. We have been amazed at what can happen during the year when we do this.
Prepare for surprises
For example, one year I chose “authentic” as my word. I determined that, in my workplace, I wasn’t going to let the behavior and attitudes of my coworkers determine my actions. I wanted my words and actions to be authentic. Most days I was very conscious of that intention and really did bring my positive thinking into my workplace. That word still lives in me to this day.
Interestingly, at the start of 2009 I chose “break free” as my phrase—intending that I would break free of things that held me back from being all I could be. Little did I know that in October of that year I would be Reduced-In-Force at a workplace I’d been in for 22 years! Further, for my 2010 word I chose “adventure,” again not fully realizing just where that would take me. My adventure turned me onto a career I absolutely love and for which I feel I’ve trained all my life.
What word or phrase might you give to 2012? Try creating one—and wait to see what happens! It just could replace New Year’s resolutions in your life.
Having said that, it’s also true that making resolutions is better than not making them—if you want to reach goals in your life.
Give the year a name
Here’s another alternative: Consider doing an informal review at the end of the year or the start of a new year. Include a look back at the past year to see what was good and not so good. Reflect on the past year’s highlights (and lowlights!) and what you learned from them. Then look ahead to imagine what might happen in the coming year. What would you like to have happen? What manageable goals can you set—and what small steps can you take to get there? Reflect on what strengths and resources you have (include your own skills and strengths and think about family and friends) that you take with you into the year that will help you get what you most want.
Then think about what name you might give to the coming year: a single word or perhaps a short phrase. What word or phrase might you hold in front of you that will energize you and fuel your passion in the coming year?
Two friends and I have done this on New Year’s Eve for 10 years now, and in the past three my fiancé has joined in. We have been amazed at what can happen during the year when we do this.
Prepare for surprises
For example, one year I chose “authentic” as my word. I determined that, in my workplace, I wasn’t going to let the behavior and attitudes of my coworkers determine my actions. I wanted my words and actions to be authentic. Most days I was very conscious of that intention and really did bring my positive thinking into my workplace. That word still lives in me to this day.
Interestingly, at the start of 2009 I chose “break free” as my phrase—intending that I would break free of things that held me back from being all I could be. Little did I know that in October of that year I would be Reduced-In-Force at a workplace I’d been in for 22 years! Further, for my 2010 word I chose “adventure,” again not fully realizing just where that would take me. My adventure turned me onto a career I absolutely love and for which I feel I’ve trained all my life.
What word or phrase might you give to 2012? Try creating one—and wait to see what happens! It just could replace New Year’s resolutions in your life.
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