I’m sitting here looking out the window at the snow – I LOVE snow. It’s so beautiful and cozy. Snowy days like this give the perfect feel for reflecting and planning.
Reflecting and planning is exactly what I’ve been doing for the past several days.
2016 was a year of massive transition. In January, I became a mom. The learning curve has been steep but even with all the ups and downs…the sleepless nights and the “wtf I have no idea what I’m doings” – I have truly loved every minute of it!
Mark and I were talking just last night about how all that led up to this was totally worth it. We would do it all again and truly not change a thing.
This year has really reinforced a few things for me.
First of all – it is so important to get clear on what it is that you want. Paint out that big picture in detail, know what your big dreams are and take intentional action to make them happen WHILE ALSO letting go of the outcome, going with the flow and trusting that life will take you exactly where you are meant to go.
This can feel so freaking hard to do and at times really confusing. Learning how to surrender the struggle and open up to the possibility is a skill that I work on with my coaching clients (and it’s something I focus on regularly too!)
Honestly, most of us can’t even begin to tap into how great things could actually be, we’re limited by our current point of reference. Or we’re too afraid to go there. Or maybe we set our expectations so high that the prospect of it feels overwhelming – impossible for us.
If you dream your big dream and go after it, while focusing on the action and the present moment (not fixate on the outcome or how you think things should be) you will get what you want or something better. Truly, you will.
The life I live right now was not something I could have even imagined 10 years ago – no way. Had things played out exactly as I thought they “would” or “should” I would not be where I am right now. I love my right now and I am so very grateful.
Second – I don’t know everything. I know a lot but as my life changes, my perspective changes, which makes it vital to always be open to learning. Even if you’ve tried everything, even if you’ve heard it all before – with every new day comes a new version of you. Stay open to listening and learning so that you don’t get stuck in a way of being that no longer works for you.
Things that were important to me a year ago don’t matter to me much anymore – for example I almost always go to bed with dirty dishes in the sink and it’s not that important for me to be right…at least not all the time 😉 I’ve had to find a balance between letting go of control while also controlling what I can.
I have shed old values and beliefs while also acquiring new ones. It doesn’t always feel easy to be open to the constant ebb and flow of life but change is the only thing we can 100% count on – might as well learn how to embrace it.
Lastly – how you do one thing is how you do everything. Everything is connected. And how you end 2016 is how you begin 2017. In order to make 2017 a really great year do something you really want to do as you end 2016. Maybe it’s an early dinner with friends, maybe it’s signing on stage at karaoke or maybe it’s at home on the couch watching the ball drop – be intentional about what you want to do. Make a decision and own it.
Then reflect on these 2 questions:
- What am I ready to let go of with 2016?
- What am I ready to embrace in 2017?
That’s it. Keep it simple. Let go and embrace – just like a trapeze artist. Flow from the old to the new. Don’t second guess yourself mid swing – make a decision and go.
In the comments below I would love to hear from you – what are you ready to let go of and what are you ready to embrace?
Cheers to you and a really great 2017!
P.S. If you are ready to make some serious IT happen in 2017 (think: ask for a promotion, travel the world, start a new business, find your soulmate, reach your ideal weight, organize your house – whatever!!!) then you have got to check out the “Make IT Happen Masterclass” here.