The New Year I’m looking forward to

What will 2018 be like?

Health, Happiness, Wealth have been going around in the many new year wishes that one sends and receives. Warmth and camaraderie filling our inboxes.

The euphoria of the new year celebrations having waned…. its time now to think back about the year that was, The happenings in and around us and how each experience left its impression on us; The resolutions we made …some which we kept, others that we broke.

Sifting through these experiences we take with us new insights and look ahead to the new year with a little planning and lots of love.

Most of us make meaningful resolutions and embark sincerely on their ‘to do’ list. All the same very few of these resolutions get past the first month of the year.

The internet is filled with tips on ‘how to create Smart and doable Goal Plans’ and yet these are not enough to help stick to your dream goal.

So These 4 questions would be what I would focus on this year so that I move in the direction of my resolutions?

# What is it that I want to feel this year?

For me I’de say — More togetherness, More love, More recognition, More reaching out, More abundance.

Picking out what the heart wants to feel is a better energizer than having my resolutions as a ‘Task List’ to get done.

For eg: My desire to connect with the youth is what motivates me to write. The feeling I was looking for was to connect …. thats what gives me the momentum and motivation to write.

# What can I do when there are slip ups?

Problems do arise along the way …You need to remind yourself that you are there for the long haul and so its helpful to practice the art of Reflection, Recovery and Repair when you bungle up.

This would entail spending time thinking about what went wrong, acknowledging and allowing yourself to make errors in planning and putting together a new plan each time the old plan doesn’t work.

Giving yourself the freedom to have miscalculated or made mistakes makes navigating the rough patches easier than berating yourself for being less than perfect.

Sometimes we are much harsher with ourselves than we are with other people and its time we need to stop that.

The important thing is to figure out why you are not able to stick to the plan and then act accordingly.

So Plan, but be flexible enough to tweak your plans along the way.

# Who can I get on board to help me achieve my plans and who could I help achieve theirs

The first part of this is more or less like a public commitment. It gives me accountability and helps me have a few supportive friends to egg me on when when am not feeling my best.

The second part of helping a friend achieve their resolution pulls the focus off me and allows me to contribute to someone else’s life. There’s a lot you learn about yourself when you lean in to assist another.

# What is that one quality I want to have more of this year.

This could be a quality that either your friends, family or you want to cultivate within yourself [eg patience, forgiveness, courage, transparency etc]

There could be many such qualities you would like to imbibe but start with one. Focus on that one quality every morning reminding yourself that you are going to practice being more of that through the day and actively search out opportunities to put that quality into action.

And so as I ask myself again — What’s 2018 going to be like ?

The answer is clear ……

Its not going to be any one thing. There are 12 months that’s 365 days; All the days cant be just- Good or Bad or Promising or Difficult .

Instead the year will be an eclectic mishmash of sometimes chaotic, sometimes peaceful, and sometimes usual happenings — and that’s a Good thing.

I will make plans and feel all the excitement of having a fresh new start but I also know that I may make errors and that OK.

The important thing is to get back into the business of picking up where I left and moving on — living life wholeheartedly.

And yes there’s one thing am going to try — that’s taking a day off once a month to reflect on the happenings around me …. for as Margaret Wheatley says Without reflection, we go blindly on our way, creating more unintended consequences, and failing to achieve anything useful.

Anyone else trying this could message me about their experiences

For now, i am going to warmly wrap up the year that was and move forward into the new year using my focus questions to create a nourishing life that I cant help but love.