Time is fragile and beauty fleeting. This gorgeous snowflake exists in its perfect complexity for a moment before it is absorbed into the mass and eventually melts away into nothingness. It’s a reminder to appreciate each moment and cherish our uniqueness amongst others.
Each year I choose today, the first working day of the New Year, to do the exercise below. It helps me reflect on last years successes, failures, and learnings – and consider what I want to accomplish and how I want to improve next year.
This year’s theme seemed to be about patience with ‘politics’. Much of my time in 2011 was spent navigating different bureaucracies. On reflection, I am reminded again that I work best when I am able to keep draining and dramatic people at arm’s length and not get hooked into their machinations. I learned that I have the ability to navigate complex situations well if I trust my instincts and balance my natural tendency to believe in other’s sincerity at face value with a reasonable dose of objectivity to recognise agendas and motivations. It’s always most powerful to be on the same side of the table with those who are blocking your path to what you want to achieve.
This year’s biggest learning was about optimism. By avoiding my tendencies to ‘catastrophize’ I have done a good job at taking negative experiences, making them smaller and external (eg ‘It’s not a huge deal, and it’s beyond my control or not my fault’) whilst focusing on the positive experiences and making them bigger and internal (eg ‘Things are going so well – I have the ability to make great things happen and look at how well I accomplished this thing!)
This year I loved the time I spent with my husband and sons – taking 1:1 trips with each of them individually creates treasured memories. This year, Robert and I went to NY for a city-escape, Connor and I went to Scotland for a rugged adventure, and Ryan and I went to Gozo SCUBA diving. I spent time with my sister and best friend, and snatched a few days with my friend Robin, laughing more than talking.
I also loved reconnecting with my friend Peggy who I’ve known since I was 16 and we grew up in a small area of rural Utah. Peggy also lives in London and is so inspiring – a great mother and wife who balances her career as an academic and this year released her first documentary. I also loved that I brought two new great friends into my tribe – Debbie and Cathy – amazing women. And I love that I have been able to help many people in 2011 make progress toward being their best self through my workshops and coaching.
This year I was lucky to spend time with one of the smartest women I know, Dawna Markova, who once again reminded me that I have a purpose and a mission: to communicate beauty to the world. She’s been telling me this for nearly 10 years – and I still have so far to go to spread my message and do what I’m meant to do in this life. I find her consistent belief in me humbling.
My goals for next year are to spend more quality time with my family and friends, to push forward on my mission to help women feel beautiful and connect to their inner beauty power with my book and seminars, and to expand myself and stretch into new areas of learning and growth.
I encourage you to take time for the exercise below – and wish you a lovely, beautiful, gorgeous New Year.
Xx – C
Reflect and Renewal Exercise
1. Reflect on 2011
- What did you love in 2011?
- What was magical and extraordinary?
- What did you accomplish?
- What do you want to duplicate in 2012?
- What did you hate?
- What was challenging?
- What did you learn by going through these challenges?
- What do you not want to have happen again in 2012?
- What empowering decisions did you make in 2011?
2. Reflecting on your life’s journey so far
- Thinking back on your life, what are the dreams – big and small – that at one time seemed difficult to achieve and yet you accomplished them?
- What were the steps you took to make them happen?
3. Refocusing on the future
- Write every goal you think you’d like to accomplish in the next twenty years. Write as fast as possible without taking time to edit or think. Then, write the number of years you want it to take (1, 5, 10, 20…)
- Circle four of your 1-year goals that you want the most.
- Write one sentence about each of them and why they are important to you.
- What are some of the things you may need to do that you don’t want to do in order to make these goals happen?
- What’s one small thing you will do immediately toward achieving one of your goals?
- What’s one big thing you resolve to do immediately to achieve one of your goals?
- How will you measure your progress weekly?
