The year that we thought would never end is finally in it’s last few weeks, and although flipping the calendar to a new page brings no guarantees, it holds an opportunity to live differently than we did this year. Now’s our chance to reflect on where we’ve been and connect with who we want to be in the year to come.
So what do you want for next year?
It’s easy to get distracted by the usual suspects–eat less, exercise more, spend less, organize more–and these goals are fine and even worthwhile. But how many times have we tried and failed to make lasting change because our goals are disconnected from our deeper longings?
I guess I can speak for myself here–I’ve failed more times than I can count. And I’ve beaten myself up for not meeting expectations for myself that weren’t even realistic in the first place.
Instead of setting goals based on what we think we are supposed to do next year, what if we take the time to reflect a little more deeply on what we actually desire for our lives?
What do you really want?
In the midst of day to day functioning–and let’s be honest, this year has often been more about survival than anything else–it’s hard to even know what I really want (beyond a little time to myself).
I need space to let my mind and heart settle enough to sift through what’s actually in there, waiting for an invitation to come to the surface.
Consider this your invitation.
What would happen if you gave yourself permission over the next couple weeks to carve out a few moments of stillness? What if instead of forging ahead through the busyness of the holiday season, you chose to quiet yourself long enough to hear the whispers of longing from within your heart?
If we don’t take the time to reflect on what matters most, we allow our circumstances to shape our lives instead of using our lives to shape the world around us.
So I’ll ask again, what do you really want?
I want to make the most of this one life I’ve been given.
I don’t want to waste one second of the hard year we’ve all lived through.
I want to move forward with greater purpose, deeper resolve and clearer focus.
You too?
Let’s use these next few weeks to reflect on where we’ve been and to connect with the life we were made to live.
I’m sharing some questions to help get us started, to help us identify some of the desires that may have slipped below the surface as we’ve fought to survive a hard year.
These questions are intended to help you create space to reflect on the life you want to live.
Use them however feels most helpful for you! That could mean answering each one in writing, or it could look like picking a few to discuss with friends or family.
Be patient with yourself–there is no right or wrong answer, and there is no shame if you need to skip a question and move on to the next one!
If you’re looking for ideas about how to use this guide, here are a couple possibilities:
On your own – Answer a question or two each day, in the morning or right before bed or whenever you can carve out 5-10 minutes of quiet.
(Bonus: If you can, spend a few minutes breathing deeply to quiet your body and mind before you answer. Give yourself the gift of stillness, even if it feels a bit uncomfortable or inefficient!)
With a friend – Send the questions to a friend and set a date to talk about your answers once a week. Answer on your own then pick one or two to share, or just use them as conversation starters to help you reflect together!
With your family – Put the questions in a jar and pull out a different one each night during dinner. Make time spent together around the table into an intentional space to practice listening deeply to one another.
In a group – Start a Marco Polo or Voxer group (or schedule a Zoom call) and pose a couple questions per week, then allow people to respond whenever they have a moment. Create the community you long for by taking the initiative to invite a couple others to join you to reflect and connect!
No matter how you’re feeling as this year winds down, you can be certain that this is not the end of your story. May the next chapter be one of greater abundance than you can imagine!
The best is yet to come!
P.S. Do you want someone to help you work through questions like these in real time? You might be interested in coaching! Read more about how coaching works or contact me for more information. I would love to connect with you!