Welcome to a new year

girl in the sunset

It’s January, the start of a new year, full of new beginnings and new possibilities. A fresh start, if you will. But before looking forward, I encourage my clients to take time to honor the past year, to reflect and celebrate our growth and take an honest inventory of what worked and what didn’t. 

And 2020 certainly was quite a year for all of us. Reflecting allows us to be grateful for the life lessons the past year has brought. As I glanced over my calendar and reviewed the challenges we encountered: Covid-19, the election, civil unrest—all of this upheaval occurring while we did our best to socially distance and keep each other safe. Seeing all that had gone on this past year, I realized I needed to get clarity about what I experienced. You might, too. And if so, I created a few questions to help you do just that. So, grab your journal or laptop and open yourself up to finding what the hard lessons of this past year have taught you. Doing so will not only help you get a better understanding of the past, but help you figure out what you want to bring into the new year.

  • What’s something amazing you discovered about yourself in 2020?
  • What’s the most important thing you learned in 2020?
  • What accomplishment or experience are you most proud of?
  • What challenges have you experienced?
  • What did you accomplish, both big or small?
  • What is one thing you can’t live without?

Some of your answers might surprise you. Last year I donated my time— services and my product to people in need, and that was very rewarding.  I also discovered that staying connected to family and friends was critical;   thanks to Facetime, Zoom, and the phone I stayed in contact and didn’t feel isolated. 

My answers helped give me focus on what I want to bring in the new year, and yours will, too. Celebrate your answers and all your wonderful accomplishments—both big and small—and honor the sadness and loss we experienced with the pandemic. Thank the past for all the lessons, and then let go. Holding on to the sadness doesn’t fix anything. Replaying the past over and over again doesn’t change it, and wishing things were different doesn’t make it so. So, let’s make peace with the past, let it go, and embrace all our new changes by wearing our masks and continuing to wash our hands, as we greet this new year with an open heart. Wishing you a happy, healthy New Year.