Where were you this time last year? I was working as a hospice social worker, feeling connection and love to my patients but disconnected from the logistics of the job. I knew my calling was being half fulfilled, walking with people in the scariest and hardest part of life, but the other half, the stress…the on-call hours, the daily "crisis" mode I felt like I was in...I wasn't satisfied with. As much as I tried all the self-care tools and tips I knew of, I started feeling that something was wrong that I had to work so hard to undo the stress I experienced 50plus hours a week. A good friend and I would take long walks in our neighborhood and talk about our hopes and dreams for 2016. Not only was this the year that I felt like I wanted professional change, it was the year of my 40th birthday. I wanted my 40th year to be special, marked by meaningful change and a purpose-filled existence.
2016 was a year where I manifested many things that I set intentions upon that New Year's. I managed to leave the stress of my job behind by leaving my job and starting Soulful Transitions. I managed to unearth the creative and artistic soul that lie dormant in me for decades. I managed to put together walking with people in tough times with artistic expression, and seeing positivity unfold. As I recently dismantled the vision board I had created for myself in 2016 I realized I reached all the professional goals I had set for myself in 2016.
Personal goals, however, were another matter, and these are set forth on my vision board for 2017. The hope for new relationships to unfold, the desire for amping up my already healthy lifestyle into one that incorporates more movement, more healthy food, more reflective and meditative time for myself. My vision board is not focused this time on my work, as I have another place where I now keep my intentions for Soulful Transitions to grow. My personal life is what needs a little fine tuning this 41st year of my life.
What kind of New Year's goal setter are you? Sometimes people sleep walk into New Year's and the goals tend to be the same…lose weight, watch less TV, spend more time with loved ones…but when New Year's goals become rote and lose impact on January 2nd maybe it is time to take a different approach. We have a few days before the countdown to 2017, so find some time in your busy day to sit down, take out some paper and a pen, and consider these ideas for meaningful New Year's Resolutions:
- Where in your life do you want to put more attention? Not "Should" put more attention, but "Want To." Where in your life do you feel satisfied?
- What words would you use to describe your life now? What words would you like to use to describe your life moving forward?
- Reflecting on the Bill Keane quote “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery…today is a gift, which is why it is called the present” what can you work toward letting go from the past, what hopes/anxieties do you have for the future, and how can you remain in the present moment to keep grounded? Remember, the past is over and done with and there isn't much you can do to change the events, the future hasn't even occurred, so what can you do to remain in the present moment?
- Spiritual leader Rev. Michael Bernard Beckwith describes integrity in this way: "Integrity is about being integrated with the spiritual values of the Universe. It is also about being happy, because happiness and joy means that you are coming into integrity with your soul." When you consider living a life of integrity, what does that mean to you? Is it an alignment of your physical, spiritual, emotional, professional, mental, and relational aspects? How can you bring these parts of you into alignment?
- Consider one to three things you want to change in your life. If you were to look back this time next year and feel satisfied, what would need to happen this year to get you there?
After reflecting on these questions, take some time this week to gather together items for a vision board. Cut out quotes and pictures from magazines that are aligned with the intentions and goals you have for the New Year. Find photos you love, quotes from Internet sources that inspire you to integrate all the aspects of your life. When you have your items together, take some time before January 1st to post them to a cork board, foam board, or just a piece of paper. Hang it where you can see it, and throughout the year add to it and subtract from it when you either feel inspired by something or no longer inspired by something. Keep it up all year and this time next year you can reflect on where you are this time next year and what you may want to consider for 2018.
Interested in gathering some friends or colleagues together for a vision board workshop in January to create intentions for the New Year? Contact me and I can come to your home or workplace for a small fee toward materials and instruction.
