Vision for a new year

Happy New Year! How are you doing with this one? Do you feel prepared – you know, with your list of things to do and ways to change? Did you slip easily into the new year, relaxed and ready to enjoy all that 2008 holds for you? Or did you come kicking and screaming into January as though you are already late for something?

Fear not! It’s ok. It may even be better than OK!

New years can be daunting because there’s so much we don’t know. So much can and will happen – it’s probably just as well that most of us don’t have a crystal ball and the ingenuity to use it.

But January is also a good time to consider what you want. Here is an invitation that I give my coaching clients at this time of year. It’s a process that involves getting at what it is you would really like to be, do, or have in 2008.

New Year Intentions Tool

Give yourself some quiet time and a quiet place to think about all of the important elements of your life – your family, your friends, your profession, your hobbies, your health, your prosperity…

Now imagine that you have moved forward in time to December of 2008 and it’s time once again, to write a holiday letter about the year in review. What would you like to say in that letter about all that has materialized for you in the year 2008?

Begin to write your letter as though all that you are dreaming for next year has already come true. Be as specific as possible. Maybe you have a professional goal to increase your revenue by 15%, or to find a new job that is more fulfilling. Maybe you have a personal goal to pay off your credit cards, or to join a new book group or writing group. Is there some way you would like to improve family relationships? Write about that. Is there something you’ve always wanted to learn to do but haven’t found the time? If you want 2008 to be the year you accomplish this, include it in your letter. If you are hoping for more friends, or a specific relationship to happen, include this information in your letter as clearly as possible as though it has already happened!

Read your letter out loud to yourself, your coach, or someone you trust. Post your letter some place where you are likely to see it and be intentional about re-reading it at least 3 or 4 times during the year.

Being intentional about what you want is a great first step towards actually getting it.

Cheers!