Life in the rear view mirror
Saying goodbye to 2022 and gearing up for a new year and new expectations!
This past year has been a series of continued change and evolution, beginnings and endings—-interspersed with discovery, inspiration and creativity. I’ve discovered so many fascinating stories and ideas that people have shared, opening new doors to things I hadn’t considered before in my life. With each new inspiration there are three more that follow right behind. So when someone says “there is a world of possiblities out there”, it is actually true!
I’ve always found the down-time week between Christmas and New Year’s to be especially rewarding, even when I was still working full time. These days of nothing-ness were a chance to let my head clear and my mind drift, to do some planning or organizing, and to start again with a fresh new page and decide how I wanted to approach the days ahead.
This year, I’m going to use a concept that I learned from Suleika Jaouad, author of the Isolation Journals. She calls it the “Five” Lists. The idea behind this is to list out the 5 things you are most proud of in the past year, and the 5 things that are wild ideas for the new year. These could be stretch goals and concepts, ideas you’ve always wanted to try, new plans or actions you’d like to take etc. At the conclusion of the year, you circle back and see what you think about the list of 5 and begin again!
I can share what I’m most proud of from 2022:
1) developing this site and reaching people who were looking for the kind of information and support I’ve posted,
2) gradually increased my level of physical activity and strength by walking, rowing, biking,
3) gave myself over to creative pursuits and shared them with others,
4) learned to be more strategic in how and where to share my energy and for how long,
and most importantly,
5) completed my oncology treatments and tests with flying colors! Woohoo!
Now the wild ideas are what come next! I’m working on several things at once and will share them out soon. Some are things I’ve had on my list for ages, some are new concepts that have come through the receptivity of creative impulse. All will be targets that keep me focused on my main areas of importance: energy, physical well being, mental clarity.
So whether you choose to assess the past year or just feel like making plans for the new one, give yourself the space and time to think about what’s important to you and where you want to be when the calendar rolls around again. If you dream it or put the intent out to the universe, it can actually happen. Sometimes it’s as simple as taking one step or making a series of changes that moves or shifts your perspective and focus. The important thing is not to just let the days roll by without having some appreciation or assessment of where you spend your energy — time is too precious and your happiness too valuable!
Wishing you joy and peace for the New Year!!
