Do you acknowledge what you created, learned, experienced, and achieved during the year?
I have found it to be a powerful closure of a year before letting it go and setting targets for the next year.
Brain dumps are powerful ways to clear your mind and free up space to create something new.
And why leave it up to others to acknowledge your achievements when they don’t know everything that went down?
Empower yourself!
How?
- Go somewhere where you can be comfortable and undisturbed for at least 1 hr., and bring your choice of beverages and snacks.
- Bring your phone and bring a pad of paper and a pen.
- If you journal, bring that too.
- For the dreamers, take 10 deep breaths while expanding your inner being as far out as you want to go. Your body will exhale deeply when you’ve gone out as far as you need to.
- Start writing or use the talk-to-text or voice memo on your phone. You can review your calendar, journal, or simply review the prompts below and write down what comes to mind.
What?
No matter what your reality has been, I’m sure you’ve had some great insights and fun too. Acknowledge the crappy things and add what you did to shift or make the best out of the various situations.
Let the words and order flow; get it all out. The good, the bad, the ugly. The celebrations, the disappointments, the joys, sadness, surprises… there’s no right or wrong way.
What happened in January with the year kicking off? February? March when the whole world shut down? April…
OK, here we go; “This is what went down this year for me… [2020]…“
Here are some random prompts for you to get started:
Social: Have you been isolated with limited in-person contact? How did you manage, and how did you connect with people? Did you Zoom more, talk on the phone, or welcome some time out?
Mental health: How are you feeling? The isolation has taken a toll on many, so you’re not alone; it’s important to reach out to customers, friends, family, and co-workers or network with people online. Did you make new friends?
Business: Did you work, or did your business go down the drain? Did you pivot your business into an online success story?
Fitness: Did you start working out at home or go for runs early in the morning when no one is out? or did you give up?
Food: Did you start cooking more at home, change what you eat, and build up your immune system and energy levels?
Dating, partnerships, marriage: How did your intimate relationship fare? Are you stronger than ever, or are you separating?
Introspection: Did you take time out to explore what’s important to you in life? What do you need, bring, etc.? Set new targets? Come up with new ideas? Start something new?
Finances: What did you create? Are you ending up better or worse than a year ago? What did you learn?
Housing: Did anything change? Do you love your home, or are you making changes? Have you been financially impacted or separated and forced to take action?
Education: Did you take any new courses, read books, or learn new skills?
The list can go on and on, so write or talk until your heart is full and your mind [temporarily] silent.
Done?
Email yourself the list if you haven’t already created it in a digital format and want a record.
For some of you, printing it out and then burning it up in a fireplace or similar can be a powerful “let it all go” process. Choose whatever you feel you need.
Next, what do you want to create for 2021?
Instead of creating from now and projecting a year ahead, why not create from the future looking back?
Imagine standing a year in the future, or 10 years in the future, looking back at what you created in 2021 and allowing yourself to be inspired by your imagination.
It’s December 31, 2021, and I can’t believe what I was able to create this year; it still blows my mind! It all started with…
You may feel inspired to create a collage or find a couple of images that you feel represent what you’re looking to create, or maybe there are some words or specific targets that come out of this that you want to write down.
Have fun with it! Do it your way!
Wishing you a powerful year-end close and an even better 2021!!
