“Life is a narrative that you have a hand in writing.”
I love this quote by Henriette Anne Klauser, which serves as a reminder that we all can take an active role in how we want our life to look. I always look forward to the New Year as it gives me time to reflect on what happened in the previous year and allows me to plan for the upcoming year. I sit down and acknowledge what went well and what didn’t go so well, for both my personal life and my professional life. I then take the time to think about why things went the way they did. Some things are out of my control—life throws some curveballs at us, which is par for the course—but many are directly correlated to my actions and intentions. I then brainstorm what I want for the next year and write it down. I firmly believe in the power of “write it down, make it happen.” Most years I only refer to this document once or twice (if that), but somehow the thoughts stay with me because I made the effort to write it down. This is not something that takes me very long. It tends to be a quick brainstorming, but it works because I don’t put pressure on myself to make it formal.
I urge you to reflect back on 2013 (if you haven’t yet), thinking about what went right and wrong, and then brainstorm your goals for 2014. (I prefer concrete goals to nebulous resolutions.) I find it helpful to categorize goals into the various areas of my life because it makes it easier to define what I want. For example, last year I put “read 12 books” in my Personal Development category and “date night with my husband” in my Family category. I always include stretch goals and I don’t always accomplish all of them, but the key is to enjoy the process and push yourself to be your best self.
So Happy New Year! My hope is that 2014 is everything you want it to be for you. Write your narrative and make it a great year!!
