2012 will be here in 5 days. And as 2011 comes to a close, and this brand New Year looms ahead like a long adventure of unlimited possibilities, you have the opportunity to stop and get clear about what you want for yourself in this upcoming year.
What do you want to experience in 2012? What do you want do, have or be? How do you want to feel and what do you want your life to look like this time next year, when 2012 is ending and you are getting ready for 2013?
While none of us can predict the future, we can create a Vision for what we want in the New Year. And the process of creating your Vision for 2012 can reveal ideas, aspirations and personal truths you may not have recognized before.
See, a Vision isn’t a long list of goals, declarations or intentions for your New Year. The kind of Vision I’m talking about is the story of your year, written by you. It describes the wonderful details of what you experienced in 2012. Here’s how you do it.
- Set aside a good chunk of time… at least 2 hours. You can do this in segments, an hour here, a half hour there, but it’s best if you have the time and space to really sink down into this process without interruption.
- With paper and pen, or with keyboard and screen, start by imagining that the last week of 2012 is here. A whole year has passed. And you are about to write a long letter to a dear friend, your closest friend, and share with him or her all the wonderful things that happened during 2012.
- Then, start with the phrase, “Dear (Name of Friend), As I sit here writing to you in the last week of 2012, I am overwhelmed with appreciation, gratitude and joy for all that has happened in this past year.” Then, write the story of your year in 2012, exactly as you want it to unfold, AND as if it has already happened.
Include every aspect of your life. Your work, your business, your financial well-being. Your family life, your relationships with friends, the vacations you took, the adventures you experienced. Talk about your love life, your sex life… let yourself have it the way you want it! Same with your health, your mindset, your spiritual life. Write about it all, and describe exactly what you want to have and what you want to experience in all those aspects of your life.
Don’t hold back! Don’t try to control it! Let yourself have it all, and write what comes to you. You may surprise yourself. Dormant desires and new revelations may find their way to your page. Let ’em come!
One tip: If you start to write something and some part of you starts to contract inside, if a voice in your head says, “Oh, man, that’s never going to happen!”, then rewrite that section into something you can believe. It’s important that every part of this Vision feel yummy and inspiring to you. If you write something that feels way beyond your concept of what’s possible, you’ll shut down around it rather than feel inspired by it. You don’t have to throw out the idea or the desire; you just need to write it in a way that feels good and believable to you.
I just started creating my own Vision for 2012, and I was surprised by the insight and ideas that came to me as I wrote it. It helped me get clear on what I want to create in all areas of my life. And it allowed me to see not only what I want to create, but how. It also helped me remember who I want to be in my business as well as what I want to achieve.
One more tip: Once you have your Vision written for 2012, and it should be a Vision that excites you, inspires you and feels so damned good to you, decide to take action towards bringing that Vision to life in 2012. Read it over and ask yourself, what can I do daily, consistently, that is aligned with this Vision I’ve created? See what comes to you.
I know it can be challenging to make changes in the New Year… or any time, actually. We all can use some support, encouragement and accountability. So, if you’re ready to make some changes and take action towards realizing your Vision for 2012, I invite you to join Just An Hour – a 30-day program that is dedicated to giving you the support, inspiration and community you need to realize your New Year’s Vision. And have fun doing it!
Just An Hour has attracted a small but mighty group of creative geniuses who are supporting each other as we commit one hour, every day, for 30 days to doing that project or practice that feeds our soul. You can find out more about it here. I hope you’ll join us.
Happy, Happy New Year to You!
May you fully realize your Vision in this New Year… and more!