Here's Looking at 2020
I’ve approached the new year many ways in the past, but one thing never changes - how much I love NYE and that calendar turn. I LOVE the energy and magic that comes with a new year. It’s a time for reflection, digging deep, making meaningful changes, setting goals, and assessing what matters most. Really, I do this type of work often and I don’t need December 31 to make meaningful changes. You and I can make major shifts on a random Tuesday at noon. But a magical time of year… let’s use it.
This year, I’m approaching the new year a little bit differently, but before I share that I want to let you in on some of the exercises I’ve done in prior years. They’re all still good ones and may be what I do to approach future years. You can use this grab bag of New Year ideas and do what speaks to you.
Word of The Year
In years passed I’ve picked a word of the year. I’ll sit with myself for a bit, think about what I want to do and create in the new year, consider what held me back and what propelled me the prior year, and pick a word that I want to align with for the next year. Generally, it has been a word that I felt I needed a little push in. For example, Growth. I picked this word when launching a new branch to my business some years back and knew that in order for me to be successful, I needed major growth. So I invested in my education, freelanced (for free!), and pushed myself to grow in areas I knew I needed it. Throughout the year as opportunities came up I would ask myself, does this support my growth? Does this align with how I want to grow? And if the answer was “yes”, I’d go for it.
A Letter to Myself
I’ve written a letter to myself to read at the end of the upcoming year. On New Year’s Eve I get out pen and paper and write (with my hands… not typing on the computer) a letter to myself as if it were the end of the upcoming year, looking back on the year that has not yet happened. I write all the great things I want to create and make happen, as if they already did. It’s a bit of visioning, manifesting, and dreaming. I take anything from the letter that I consider a goal for the year and jot that on my goals list. Then I close up that letter and don’t touch it or read it until New Year’s Eve the following year. When I read the letter it’s amazing to look back and see all the things I wrote that actually happened and to reflect on the things that didn’t. Often, the things that didn’t happen, I’m 100% okay that they didn’t come to be. We’re allowed to shift and alter our vision and goals.
Release with Fire
Sometimes there are things from the prior year that we want to let go of. I’m referring to stories that hold us back, fears, scarcity mentality, and the like. Essentially, thoughts and mindsets that simply don’t serve us. To release those stories, I burn ‘em. Yep, with fire. I write down the things that I don’t want hanging around anymore and then I (safely) light a match and torch the paper over my sink. There’s a sense of satisfaction releasing a negativity with flames.
Focus on Feelings
This year, I’m approaching the new year differently. I’m focusing on how I want to feel in 2020. We can get stuck focusing primarily on what we want to accomplish. Accomplishments are great, but not if we don’t feel great getting there. So this year I’m putting a major emphasis on how I want to feel as I work towards business goals and, more importantly, how I want to feel in my everyday moments. How do you want to feel? Let’s try on a few: happy, energetic, invigorated, healthy, content, peaceful, alive.
Whichever exercise speaks to you, enjoy! Be intentional with 2020…. the moments, the feelings, the space.
Happy New Year!
EDIT: We’re coming in to 2021 as I type this update and wowza, 2020 was a year like none of us could have predicted. Can we torch all of 2020 with flames? Nah. It was a doozie and some of that heaviness is here to stay for a bit. But I challenge you… what went well? What were the sliver linings? What did you learn about yourself that amazed you? How can you say, damn I still thrived because…? A full 2021 prep post coming soon…