There are lots of ways to start a new year…
- making resolutions
- coming up with a word of the year
- dieting and exercise
- setting flying wish paper on fire
- looking for a message in the first song you hear on the radio on 1/1 (deep, I know!)
I think “resolution” feels too much like a Big Commitment That Doesn’t Permit Flexibility, so I didn’t make any resolutions. I decided my word for the year will be “brave” because I want to make some bold steps in both my personal life and my business (more on that throughout the year). I bought a lot of fruits and veggies and took a walk today. I set my wish papers ablaze last night, and…oops…forgot to turn on the radio on January 1.
Despite all that, I felt a little unsatisfied. What would a satisfying year look like? If it were the last I spent on this planet, how would I want it to shake out? Then, I remembered a former colleague who said “at the end of the day” a lot. If I shifted that expression slightly, it looked like this:
At the end of 2014, I will have…
…helped the world by ____________________.
…grown ____________________.
…met ____________________.
…shared ____________________.
…loved ____________________.
…been honest about __________________.
…understood ____________________.
…let go of ____________________.
…tried ____________________.
…created ____________________.
…changed ____________________.
…enjoyed ____________________.
…given ____________________.
…added ____________________.
…played with ____________________.
…felt ____________________.
…learned ____________________.
…welcomed ____________________.
…stretched past my comfort zone by ____________________.
…regretted NOTHING.
I started to complete the sentences, and then decided I’d rather leave ’em empty, letting them inspire me each day. I’m going to post this prominently in my house (maybe on the fridge), complete it as the year goes on and see where it takes me.
Want to do it, too?
