Wow where did that year go? Not only where did it go but I had to ask myself, “Did I accomplish what I had set out to do this past year?”. I went back and read my blog post from January 1st of last year and after reading it I thought it would be interesting to discuss.
The post reminded me that last year at the beginning of the New Year I felt that to move forward I needed to be more Intentional than I had been the previous year. At that time I declared that I would brand the New Year; Intentional… I would create an ‘INTENTION LIST’ instead of a ‘TO DO LIST’ and each day I would focus on accomplishing the things most important in reaching my goals. I knew I had been busy throughout the previous year but I had not really made any significant progress toward my goals.
That is what I wrote in my blog post a year ago so now it was time to evaluate my results and I asked myself some questions:
Was I in a better place than last year?
Had I accomplished what I set out to do?
Was I happy with the outcome?
Had I made different choices?
What had I changed?
These questions brought me to a moment of truth…the answers would reveal to me if I had been true to my last year’s ‘New Year’ declaration…had I acted with Intention?
I answered these question with confidence…as I truly felt like my year was a good one; a productive one.
I was in a better place…. I had accomplished a great percentage of what I had set out to do. I realized that I had given myself permission to make changes.. in many instances to do things completely different.
- I allowed myself to realize I knew what was best for me…I did not need to seek the opinion of others.
- I realized I did not know it all … so I took courses to expand my thinking.
- I expanded my circle of influence…. reached out to people who were successfully doing what I wanted to do so I could learn from them.
- I defined the way I wanted to live my life and eliminated the negative and embraced the positive. This meant I stopped doing things that made me feel stuck or less-than and starting doing things that made my life feel more expansive.
There is a saying…”If you keep doing things the same way you have been doing them then you will keep getting the same results.”
I believe the brave hearted would call, ‘having the courage to change’ a way of RE-INVENTING YOURSELF! I ask myself each day, “How am I showing up today:”
- Am I showing up on purpose?
- Am I showing up as the ‘woman who can’……..?
- Am I declaring in my goals and in the actions I take…“This and something more?”
- Am I willing to be uncomfortable …. am I willing to change?
Just this week I listened to a morning mentor message in which a short book was shared. Only 5 chapters and each chapter was only a few sentences but the message was tremendous! Please take the time to read it and then take a little more time to reflect on it and how (in your life or career) you possibly have walked down the same road.
CHAPTER 1
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost….I am hopeless.
It isn’t my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.
CHAPTER 2
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I pretend I don’t see it.
I fall in again.
I cant believe I am in the same place.
But it’s not my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.
CHAPTER 3
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it there.
I still fall in…it’s a habit…but, my eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It’s my fault.
I get out immediately.
CHAPTER 4
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I walk around it.
CHAPTER 5
I walk down another street.
– Portia Nelson (AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN 5 SHORT CHAPTERS)
The key to welcoming a Bright, Prosperous and Happy New Year is to be willing to change … to make different choices … to decide on what does the life you would love living look like.
Are you willing to walk down a new street?
I am branding my New Year a year of Choices and Change!
