Ask the Coach - January 16th

By: Merrill Pierce

---

 “Life’s not about expecting, hoping and wishing, it’s about doing, being and becoming.”

-Mike Dooley

To embrace the new, we must release the old. A trapeze artist cannot swing from one bar to another without letting go.   

An important part of starting off  the New Year is to review the past year–to release it–and to learn from it. 

To go where we wish to go and be whom we wish to be, we need to know where we are, who we are and where we’ve been.  An honest self-analysis is always helpful to gain clarity. 

As we start 2025, it seems particularly fitting to devote some time to reflecting on the year past.  I often suggest to clients that they reflect before they develop new goals.

The following questions should stimulate your thinking for this process. 

Reflect upon last year -  what you did, how you felt, what you liked, what you did not and what you learned. Try to look at yourself and your experience with as much objectivity as you can. No judgements, no “shoulding” all over yourself😊 

Here are some suggestions to get you started. Feel free to add your own. 

1. What did I learn? (skills, knowledge, insights, etc.)

2. What did I accomplish? A list of my win’s achievements. 

3. What would I have done differently? Why? 

4. What did I complete or release? What still feels incomplete to me? 

5. What were the most noteworthy events of the year past? List the top three. 

6. What did I do right? What do I feel especially good about? 

7. What was my greatest contribution? 

8. What were the fun things I did? What were the not-so-fun? 

9. What were my biggest challenges/roadblocks/difficulties? 

10. How am I different this year than last? 

11. For what am I particularly grateful? 

12. What valuable lesson am I taking into this new year? 

13. What was the book or article that impacted you most and why? 

14. What is my number one goal for 2025? Personally & professionally. 

Another Suggestion:  

Consider listing all the things in your life of which you would like to let go–anything you no longer want.  That no longer “serves” you.

Give thanks for what they have brought you in terms of learning and usefulness and then burn the list. It’s a symbolic gesture to help you release the old and be open to the new. The next step is to list what you DO want–experiences, knowledge, material things, relationships, healings, whatever. 

In doing this, you’ll be using the principle of vacuum– releasing what you don’t want and embracing what you do want.

Best,

Merrill