Can you believe we're here again…winding down the last few days of yet another year? Christmas lights and decorations are still up (at my house that consists of a wreath on my front door) and even though it was a few days ago, people are still saying Merry Christmas and exchanging gifts (I was out of town for a bit, so I still have a few gifts to give out myself).
I don't know about you, but this year has been…well, it's been complicated. There have been a handful of challenges and disappointments, but there have also been new friendships, stillness, unexpected opportunities, and a whole lot of LOVE. I’m grateful for ALL of it!!
For the last 7 years, I’ve taken time to close out the year by reflecting on what has and has not served me. This process has given me the space to let go of what doesn’t serve me and to begin the new year with clear intentions for what I really want. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a one and done kind of thing…letting go and setting intentions is a cyclical process I try to practice all year long, but the start of the year is a special time.
The new year brings with it a clean slate sort of feeling…folks start setting new year’s resolutions and thinking about goals. I’m right there with y’all…except I don’t do resolutions anymore because I (and probably many of you) never feel successful with resolutions.
In my 10 years of coaching experience, I’ve witnessed people (myself included) try and go about attaining goals in many different ways. Those who have had the most success tend to have some version of the following…
- Take Stock: Reflect on what currently is…hold on to what serves you and let go of what doesn’t.
- Set Intentions: Get clear on what you really want. (One of my favorite shifts to goal setting comes from the one and only Danielle LaPorte who challenges us to focus on how we want to FEEL first and then set goals and intentions based on those feelings.)
- Have Support: Find a person or a group that will support you by holding you accountable.
- Be Consistent: Have a process…Reflect—Plan—Act—Repeat. Sometimes what you want changes or you have some unexpected surprises. Having a process in place to reflect and plan will help you sort through the challenges and get you to where you want to be.
Whether you have a new year’s ritual or not, I’d love to invite you to join me in letting go of 2017. On New Year’s Day, which happens to be a full moon, I’ll be hosting 2 events…one virtual (in the early afternoon) for my long-distance friends, and one in my home (in the evening) for a small group of my Austin friends. If you’re interested in either one, send me a message at liz@courageousfeats.com with subject line “Letting Go”. Let me know which event you’re interested in and I will follow up with more details.
I'm sending you and yours a great BIG HUG and lots of love for the upcoming new year.
Much Love,
Liz
PS—Here are some great resources for the new year…
- The Desire Map
- The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck A friend recommended this book to me. While the title may be off-putting for some of you, I promise there are SO MANY great nuggets in this one!!
- The Permission of the “And” My friend Justine Froelker did a great TEDx talk about a practice that has made a world of difference in my life.
PSS—I’d love to hear from you. What do you plan on letting go of as we enter this next year? What intentions are you setting? What do you want to hear more about from me this coming year?