It’s easy to let one day slip into the next, life unfolding without much awareness as to our choices in our life journey. But if you want steer your ship, now is a great time grab a hold of the wheel.
The Solstice (Dec. 21-23) and weeks before and after the start of a new year, is an opportune time to take a big pause, reflect and articulate some new directives for yourself. The New Year’s cusp is a prime time for setting intentions and setting forth goals for the year ahead.The energy of change, of bringing more light into your life, is most potent at this time of year. So, I’d recommend to create the space & time to review, assess and contemplate your future options, and consciously choose what you want to divest and invest your time and energy into.
The Process:
- Carve out some time over the course of these several weeks over the end of 2018, beginning 2019. Schedule that time into your calendar if you are prone to procrastinate – be steadfast, committed to the process. Set your intention to set some realistic intentions.
- Review the entirely of the passing year of 2018. What challenges, big and small, did you endure over the year? What, if any, are now done, and which are you still in the midst of? Consider and affirm what you learned from those circumstances that were difficult. How are you wiser? What wisdom can you bring forth into your future?
- What circumstances are you wanting to change? Consider all aspects of your life:
- Health: Diet, Exercise, Sleep
- Work/Career – Finances: Does it fit your skills/needs/desires…is it balanced?
- Relationships: intimate, friends, family, work, community- which need improvement?
- Spirituality – are you in tune with your beliefs, creative nature, feel connection to all?
It might be helpful to simply ask yourself some questions: What no longer nourishes me in body, heart, mind and spirit? What does/will? What do I want to invite into my life? Am I evolving personally? Am I emotionally content? Am I living with integrity, purpose and moving towards inner peace and making the world a better place? Of all the areas you want to change, prioritize the most important. Say your career, health and finances are good, but you most want to invite in different kinds of friendships, and integrate spiritual practice into your life. Then focus on those.
4. Once you’ve prioritized, put your main energies towards reworking those. Ask yourself questions: what isn’t working; what do I want to change. What practices/strategies will begin this change? Journal about these and, for greatest inspiration, create a Vision Board.
5. Cut out images and words from magazines that relate to your intentions for change. Let what makes you feel good and reflect what you want to bring into your life. Create a ‘Focus Phrase’ to guide you. This should reflect your deepest intentions. For example: ‘Spiritual practice and meaningful relationships enrich my life.’ This phrase will help you stay focused on those key aspects of your life.
6. Sort the images and words into piles for the differing areas of your life; put those that don’t relate into a folder for a later vision board (keeping Focus Phrase near). Arrange the images and words onto poster board in a way that pleases you, and enables your reminders to Self, of your heart’s desires.
7. Looking at your Vision Board, write down 3 action steps for each of the prioritized aspects of life. Keep imagining these changes as integrated into your life. Display these action steps on stickies, in places to remind you stay stick with your plan. Schedule times into your calendar for carrying out the action steps; treat these as if they were dates with others – that means you show up. Cross off any action steps when they are no longer relevant… and write another to replace it, so you shift step by step.
8. Periodically, pause and reflect on the changes happening; review and shift course if something isn’t unfolding as you wish, trying other options, and/or revising if something you desired isn’t as relevant any more. Celebrate your wins in affirming ways.
It’s important to keep your Vision Board in plain sight, which is why a vision board is so powerful. Writing in a journal may help expose the roots of nagging dissatisfaction, and articulate needed change, but the creative process of vision boarding engages intuition, insights and connections between various aspects of your life that don’t necessarily emerge under the linear process of thinking & writing. You choose the images + words because they are meaningful to you. Every time you look at them, you are reminded of your intentions, goals and can refresh your desire to take actions because of how the imagery and snapshot of your life feels. Take a photo of your vision board and use it as a screen saver on your devices.
The world continues to evolve; your unique journey is one tiny, but essential piece of a gigantic puzzle. As you shift towards what makes you truly happy, your upgraded vibe uplifts those around you. Be a Creatrix, consciously co-creating your world. Do the research, get the support you need, and enjoy each step of the journey. What you envision may not show up exactly as you imagine – so embrace the mysteries. Continue to be grateful.
I’m wishing you a wonderful holiday season, just the right amount of scrumptious food & drink, an abundance of joy and beauty, in ways that are meaningful to you.