It’s hard to believe another year is already coming to a close. Sometimes my life moves so fast, it all feels like a blur. This year was no exception.

Where did my time and energy go? What did I accomplish? What am I most proud of? How can I learn from my challenges and failures?

If I don’t take a minute to think about it, it’s gone, and I just move right on into the next year full speed ahead, missing an opportunity for reflection and growth.

Write the Story of Your Year

The truth is, I actually get to decide how I want to remember my year. I get to write the story of 2018. I do this so I can learn from it, feel great about it, and move on with a clean slate and set clear intentions for the next year.

One simple way to do this is through a “Closing out your year” exercise I use with my clients to celebrate triumphs, learn from and let go of failures, before setting clear intentions for the coming year.

(Here are instructions on how to do the exercise.)

Honestly, I was almost just going to send this email to you before doing the exercise myself for 2018. Since I’ve done it before, and I know it works (my client today told me how much clarity she got from the process), I figured I’d just get this email out the door and I’ll do the exercise next week when I have more time.

But I’m missing out on a lot by zipping through life this way. By trying to do too much, instead, I often don’t go deep enough, and miss out on key lessons for myself.

What I learned

So I went through the exercise tonight, and I was able to recall that my word for 2018 was “Self-Acceptance.” And besides the busy day to day of my coaching and acupuncture work, I took some relaxing vacations. I spent lots of time outdoors and with friends and family, focused on my health, decreased my screen time, and even learned a new mind-body-spirit healing modality.

But the major highlight from the year was the investment I made in my own personal and professional development. I did some deep work with a Money Coach, a Story Coach, and a Vocal Presence Coach. (All of whom I recommend!) Through our work, I learned even more about who I really am, which fostered deeper Self Awareness and Self Acceptance. (My 2018 goals!)

My major challenge was having to leave my old office and find a new space. I struggled with the loss of what I knew and loved, and felt the transition deeply. Transitions can be so hard. I had to trust myself and my intuition instead of listening to the loud and critical voice of my own fear. Through this, I gained an even deeper empathy for those who have faced similar loss and transition.

I “failed” (or didn’t get as far as I’d hoped this year) with my goals around teaching workshops and groups. Surprisingly, the coaching work around my personal story inspired me to write one of my most honest and personal blogs ever. Sharing this created a “vulnerability hangover” and I went inside to process it (and hide!)

And so…

So here I am, committing out loud, that 2019 is going to be my year of more vulnerability and visibility. My plan is to lead a 6 week group coaching program focusing on Whole Life Leadership, starting in March! Stay tuned for details.

I hope you have a lovely, connected, and relaxing holiday season. I invite you to wrap up your own story of 2018 in a helpful way, so you can leap into 2019 with ease, joy and clarity.