It’s the time of year for reflection.
Most of us are well-fed and have spent the past few days reconnecting with family and friends and sharing the spirit of the holidays. There is breathing space now and a chance to rest and relax before the start of the new year.
So, what does 2020 look like for you? That question can be big or small depending on where you sit.
If you are an entrepreneur, every year poses a new opportunity to expand – to take more space in whatever area it is you’re passionate about.
If you work for someone else, you may be looking to grow your role, or, if you are near the end of your career, wind down toward retirement.
Perhaps you are an artist, or a caregiver, and need to find ways to make space to pursue your creativity or for self-care.
Maybe this is the year that you are going to have a breakthrough in your work or education or sit down and have that difficult conversation with a loved one.
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A new year offers us an opportunity to re-position, to reconsider, to pause and reflect, to start over. It is important that we are thoughtful about what we choose to do with our precious time.
Another year has gone, and from where I sit, the decades are flying by. I am asking myself, as I am sure you are, what matters to me?
What is unfinished and needs to be taken care of this year? What am I ready to let go of that no longer serves me? How can I stay committed to myself and to those who matter in my life?
These are weighty questions, and worth asking.
Alongside the big questions, it is important to also ask small ones – can I be more cheerful? Can I take more opportunities to notice the small joys of daily living? Can I be kinder to those I love? What about those I don’t?
There is a lot going on in the big wide world, and 2020 promises to bring more of the same. We are coping with disturbing leadership trends around the world, the impacts of climate change, overwhelming advances in technology, and uncertain economies.
As we ponder our personal goals and resolutions for the upcoming year, it is also worth asking: how can I contribute to making the world a better, more peaceful place?
You need not plan from a place of fear and lack, even if it is harder to trust in goodness, our own and that of others, and to act on it.
We need not be perfect at this. We simply need to try.
My mantra for 2020 is: Begin again.
These are the guiding words I plan to use as I make choices, giving myself permission to try and fail, and try again. To start anew.
A new year is a new beginning, and we can have new beginnings all year long.
Vicki McLeod is an author, TEDx speaker, and award-winning entrepreneur. She is a business and personal coach and consultant. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or find her at www.vickimcleod.com.
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