Maria Connolly, LPC
When life changes we often talk about starting over, turning over a new leaf, making a fresh start, new beginnings, starting from scratch or from square one, wiping the slate clean, or beginning again. And these thoughts can become traps! Why?
Starting a new year has great symbolic meaning for us. It’s a fresh start that usually energizes us. But if the problems of the previous year are dragging on, you’re still sailing on troubled waters. Changing your calendar won’t ensure you start the new year off right.
How do we start the new year off right, with enthusiasm and renewed energy?
If you’ve had a fairly good year, you can take stock of your year and make sense of your losses and victories. Look for what worked and what didn’t. See what you predicted and what you got. However, this process needs to be very different when you’ve experienced major life shifts or traumatic events.
The beginning of a new year is always a great time to assess where you are in your life and where you want to be. So, did you accomplish most of what you set out to do? More importantly, how can you make this year your best year ever?
Every December, I engage in a powerful ritual called Best Year Yet. It’s a time when I pause, reflect, and realign my vision for the year ahead. This process often reveals something profound, a shift in how I understand myself in connection with performance and potential. This new understanding is the foundation that helps me adjust my Master Life Plan.
I created my Master Life Plan years ago with the intention that it be flexible — allowing me to grow or rest as I need. It guides me throughout each coming year, making it better than the last. Do you do something similar to get ready for a new year?
“It’s all about falling in love with yourself and sharing that love with someone who appreciates you, rather than looking for love to compensate for a self-love deficit.”~ Eartha Kitt
Why does this year lead many to wonder if it’s time to reset your life? The flurry of activity during the holiday season is kind of like a snowstorm — it blows in with gale force, disrupting our regular flow and leaves us feeling a little worse for wear. Plus the changing season — darker days of winter here in the western hemisphere — contribute to the holiday/winter blues.
Have you noticed that when a snowstorm hits, you often have to fiddle with the radio dial to get the station to come in more clearly? (Yes, some of us still have radios with dials!) The storm disrupts the regular flow of radio signals. Life is like that too. We stay in touch with our truest self by looking for signals that mean it’s time to adjust “our dials”.