A big part of success is how we show up…and I have found that it is often in the showing up that we become the people we are meant to be!
Maybe by showing up to consistently execute healthy habits you have become the healthy, strong person you’ve always wanted to be.
Maybe by showing up fully as your authentic self you have become braver and more self-accepting. Maybe by showing up to take action daily toward your goals you have become the employee, CEO, or model for others who you’ve aspired to become.
Many of us get caught up with holiday events, family time, etc. in the last weeks of the year. Others find themselves jumping ahead to the year that is soon to begin and how you want to spend it. But for me, this time where we are wrapping up one year and preparing for the next us the optimal time to look back at this past year to reflect on how we showed up and what we did to create the successes we are celebrating. So this week I encourage you to begin by thinking of your successes. What went well for you this year? What have you achieved that you want to celebrate? Who was pivotal in helping you to succeed and supporting you along your journey?
And while I’m not one to focus on the negative, I do think an exploration of our successes is incomplete without also looking at the places where we perhaps fell short, didn’t achieve what we expected, or where we wish we had done things differently…NOT so that we can beat ourselves up but so that we can learn what to avoid in the future and perhaps discover a better way! For example, for me this year, there were several passion areas that I discovered as we moved throughout the year that I feel like I didn’t give adequate attention to. Rather than beat me up for what I failed to do, I will simply use this reflection as I plan for next year, working to ensure that I create space for exploration in some of these areas. So as you reflect on this year and lessons learned, what can you take away from the things that may not have gone as planned?
And finally, let’s talk a bit about mindset! One of the most life-changing practices for me is gratitude. Today I’d like for you to reflect on the past year and then finish the following:
The thing I am most grateful for this year is _____ because…
The person I am most grateful for this year is _____ because…
