The new year has arrived! There is hope and possibility in the air of, not only a new year, but a fresh new decade to create.
But before you totally close the book on 2009, take the time to review your year. Admittedly, 2009 was a tough year for many. It has been filled with challenges of all kinds. When speaking about the New Year, I have heard many of my friends using the phrase “good riddance’.
I am going to challenge you here. Review your year and make note of all the good stuff. Even look into the not so good stuff and find something good- something you learned, something that happened that was good because of or in the midst of your challenges. Now really look for all of the good things. Write them all down. Writing new resolutions can sometimes be negative because all we end up focusing on are the things we didn’t follow through on last year. When you review your year prior to this, you are paving a much clearer, positive way for creating the year you want to have in 2010.
Look back through your appointment book or PDA. Remember all of the great times you spent with friends, volunteered, helped someone, successful meetings, all of your successes- of all sizes, opportunities you saw and acted on, things you did to take care of yourself, time with your kids/family, trips you took, things you learned, books you read- all of the things you did right.
It is so easy for us to be beating ourselves up about what we didn’t do, and to focus on all of the things that have gone wrong. Today spend the day thinking about all you have done well in the past year, and use that as the powerful foundation for writing your new resolutions. And make a resolution to keep your mind this year- oh at least 80% of the time- on what you are doing well and what is going well, and to stop beating yourself up so much!
Happy New Year to all! 2010 holds all of the blessings you desire- your part it to make sure to be looking for them and acting on them!