Notes on a New Year
January is the perfect time to pause . . . and reflect.
Hello Readers, January is the meeting of endings and beginnings. Have you taken time to consider what wonderful things happened last year? What made your heart sing? What scared you? Do you have an idea of whatmatters most to you moving forward? I imagine that we are all doing the best we can at any given moment, but we do need to stop and ponder. There is a warehouse of data about us stored in our memories, day timers/calendars, and journals. Take some time this month to reflect and see how you can onestep at a time, one day at a time become your better self. It’s cold outside, create the opportunity to settle inside with something warm to drink and just be still. Bring some paper and a pen, let’s gear up about personal growth in 2020.
Here are 10 questions to get you started in your reflection time:
What ignites strong feelings in me?
Who and what challenges me?
Who helps lift me up?
Who and what drains my energy?
What projects could make my life easier?
What 2019 lessons can I learn from?
Am I spending my time intentionally?
When do I connect with my body, mind, spirit, and others?
Where do I have excess?
What can I simplify?
One of my data keepers ismy Passion Planner. This is my third year to use this planner and I finally mastered the practice of a monthly reflection for all twelve months! I will be using these forms to complete my end of the year review, which they generously provide for free as a download .
Some of my loved ones are still chipping away at New Year’s resolutions, they are confident that each year they get closer to their desiredlifestyle changes. While I’m happy for them, it has never worked well for me. I prefer the One Word concept. It is a mindful approach to guide your thoughts, which then directs your actions. Here are some cool new words I found on their website for inspiration:
Soar
Minimize
Persistence
Risk
Invest
No
My word for 2020 is Restore although I didn’t find it on a list, it truly seemed to have found me. My first distinct encounter with restore was in reference to my website. It vanished suddenly in November just as I was preparing to update it for my new solo practice. I learned I could restore my domain name and rebuild the website. A fresh start I hadn’t been planning for, but I chose to welcome the challenge. Restore was also in a book I was reading, a television show I was watching, and it kept surfacing in quiet times. As with other words I have used in the past (Generous, Kindness, Mindfulness, Presence), I cannot imagine where restore will take me in the next twelve months, but I know it will move me forward in a positive direction. I will keep you posted on my progress, and I would love to hear about yours!
Health & Happiness,
Dr. Lisa
