Merry Christmas! It’s a joyous day to celebrate family, friends and your spiritual beliefs. We only have a few days left in 2014. Now, if you year was anything like mine then you are ready for the newness of 2015. I’ve been developing a ritual to prepare myself for the coming of a New Year and I finally outline the 12 steps I need to accomplish to be fully prepared. Here are the first six steps to prepare for the new year…
- Meditate/Pray– This is the time to get centered, to reconnect with God and to find inner peace. Take time during the last few days of 2014 to quiet your mind and discover what’s going on inside of you. Get a sense of who you are right now and who you want to be by then end of 2015.
- Clean, Clean,Clean My Nana (great grandma) always said, “baby, don’t bring the mess of one year with you into the next year.” Oh how right she was. It’s so important to deal with the dirt and disorganization that has accumulated in your life. If you want to have room for new experiences, new purchases, new anything you have to clean out the old first. So, put on those rubber gloves, pull out the Pine-Sol and scrub down the house, office, car, garage, etc. Trust me, you will feel better knowing that you can start off the New Year with a clean slate…litterally.
- Create a Goal 52 or Goal 12 List– I picked up this idea from an old friend of mine a few years back. This is a personal wish/bucket/To-Do list for the entire year. Create a list of 12 or 52 things you would like to accomplish in 2015. Your goal will be to accomplish 1 item off the list on a regular basis. If you develop a list of 12 then you will accomplish one goal per month. If you develop a list of 52 then you will accomplish one goal per week. This is an awesome way to regularly take care of yourself, stay on purpose and remain engaged in your own life.
- Buy A New Journal– I’ve been keeping a journal since 1993 and it’s one of the best things I could have ever done for myself. Journals give me a place to dump my thoughts, chronicle events in history, outline goals, record dreams and tell stories. If you are not a writer then this would be a great time to begin. If you do regularly document your life then buying a new journal will be a symbol of new beginnings. Now, if you have not filled up your current journal, then buying a new one will encourage you to complete it so you can begin your new journey with your new journal.
- Create a Vision Board– I am a huge fan of Pinterest. actually, I can say I’m addicted to it, but the website is perfect for creating an on-line version of a vision board. Take a moment to decide what you want to do, to be, to have and create a mission statement for that dream. Find some pictures online or in a magazine that illustrate your goal. If you take the magazines and poster board approach, place it somewhere in your bedroom where you can look at it daily to remind yourself of your dreams. If your create an online version then make sure you gaze at your vision board every morning.
- Tie Up Loose Ends– Do you have a host of unfinished projects in your midst? Are there people you’ve wanted to talk to but didn’t? Do you need to forgive someone or offer an apology? Take the next few days to finish those tasks. If you have too many to complete in the next week then really develop a plan to close the book on all of the unresolved “stuff” in your life. You will thank yourself this time next year.
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