My very first coach, Wendy Keilin, taught me to end the year by celebrating the year’s accomplishments. It’s so easy to look ahead and make some crazy list of the 5 million things you plan to accomplish in 2010. You can do that.
Just, first, take a deep breath and enjoy all the gifts of the past year. Let’s start with work and purpose:
– What are you proud of doing or accomplishing in 2009?
– Did you make any improvements to your business or work life?
– Did you take any steps, however small, to make your dreams come true?
– Was it fun?
And how about your personal life?
– Did you grow in any ways?
– Experience new insights?
– Enjoy yourself?
Make a list of achievements and joys. Add everything that happened you’re grateful for. Read your list to a friend. Or sing your list as a prayer of thanks. Hang it on your fridge or keep the list by your bed and read it for the next three mornings. Revel in your list. Thoroughly enjoy it.
And on the 31st you can create your inspiring to-do list. But here’s a tip from another coach of mine, Morgana Rae: Break up your goals by the quarter that you will do them and don’t have more than 3 projects/goals in each quarter.
I did that with Morgana this year and I can’t tell you how freeing it is. I’m used to a very long goal list and I realized I’m just setting myself up to fail somewhere if there are too many things on the list. My new list is much more do-able.
Morgana also happened to introduce me to an interesting blog post by Ton Pascal that suggest that astrologically, this December 31 will be a particularly powerful time to set intentions for the next two and a half years. He even suggests a wonderful ritual for releasing the old and embracing your new intentions.
Is writing your book on your list? If so, you’ll want to join me for one or more of these upcoming free teleseminars:
Friday, January 22 at 12:15 Eastern join me for a 45 minute teleseminar to help you Bring Your Book to Life where Patty Saddallah of the Redwood Sisterhood will interview me on the secrets to start and complete your book. I’ll also share how to find and make the time to write your book and information on how to decide whether to self publish or look for a traditional publisher. Sign up here.
Or mark your calendar for January 13, where Dan Janal, founder of PRLeads.com will interview me on Write Your Book: 5 Steps to Get Started or January 18 at noon eastern when Deb Bailey of Power Women Magazine interviews me on the subject.
I’ll be in Vermont for the next few days, celebrating my accomplishments and creating my new year’s ritual. So, I’ll wish you a happy new year now. Enjoy celebrating all you’ve done, enjoyed and received in 2009. And, dear reader, please share your most proud of favorite 2009 accomplishment as a comment on the blog. I want to celebrate with you.