This is the time when we close out one year and begin the plans for a new one. As you review your 2017 what are the big take aways? What went well, what needs improvement and what are you going to throw away? If you have been keeping a journal it will be easy to go back and review, if not find a comfortable place to sit in the quiet and take a few minutes for yourself. Close your eyes and drift or sip on a warm cup of coffee or tea but do take some time to pat yourself on the back for those jobs that were well done.
When thoughts come of situations you didn’t feel you were as successful as you would have like to have been this past year, think about alternative paths that you could have taken, how could you have tweaked the situation, avoided the temptation or made sure you followed through on that plan. The shortest amount of time spent reviewing should be on the things that you felt went terribly wrong. What’s done is done and 2018 is the time to move on.
When you are planning ahead and moving forward in 2018 think of it like driving a car. You have that big open windshield with the entire world in sight, you only have to look, pick a direction, be careful of any obstacles and keep on going forward and achieve those goals. When I ask you to review your 2017 think about it as in looking into your car’s review mirror, notice the size of the mirror, everything is behind you, if you hit a blip you made it onward. Build on the successes and release the failures.
At this time of year I encourage you to reflect, be thankful, forgive yourself and spend most of your time looking forward to the New Year of the New and Refreshed You.