Ask the Coach - Thoughts as we wind down 2023...
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 preparing for 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 and who we are. An honest self-analysis is always helpful to gain clarity.
As we end the year, it seems particularly fitting to devote some time to reflecting on the year past and where we find ourselves as the new year dawns.
The following questions should stimulate your thinking for this process. I hope you take time out of your busy schedule this holiday season to ponder where you are and where you have been.
Enter discussions with people you care about. Write out your thoughts and feelings. Do some journaling. Consider writing a letter–an end-of-the-year epistle–to yourself. It could be profound to write it and valuable to read it in the years ahead. Believe me, I have experienced this and it can be quite liberating.
Reflect upon 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 in mulling over the past year. Feel free to add your own.
What did I learn? (skills, knowledge, insights, etc.)
What did I accomplish? A list of my wins and achievements.
What would I have done differently? Why?
What did I complete or release? What still feels incomplete to me?
What were the most momentous events of the year past? List the top three.
What did I do right? What do I feel especially good about?
What was my greatest contribution?
What were the fun things I did? What were the not-so-fun?
What were my biggest challenges/roadblocks/difficulties?
How am I different this year than last?
For what am I particularly grateful?
What valuable lesion did I learn this year?
What was the book or article that impacted you most and why?
What is my number one goal for 2024? Personally & professionally.
Another Suggestion:
Consider listing all the things in your life of which you’d like to let go–anything you no longer want. Give thanks for what they’ve 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 will be using the principle of vacuum– releasing what you don’t want and embracing what you do want.
Best wishes for a happy and healthy holiday season…
Best,
Merrill
