Start with a pause

If 2023 started with a pause instead of a bang for you, that’s OK! Beginning the year slowly means you are taking deliberate time to dream and plan. You may not be able to predict what 2023 looks like for you, but you can spend extra time crafting a vision. We don’t need to rush the story of our annual dreams and aspirations. I found that removing the pressure to have all the answers before the end of the year (or the first weeks of the new year) is refreshing and feels like a kinder pace. 

If you’re still thinking about your year ahead, here are some questions to ask yourself. A few questions ask you to think about your past narratives and what needs to be changed today to help you see tomorrow more clearly. These require reflection and will help you clarify your direction for the year ahead. These questions engage the higher levels of the mind (vision and values) and the lower levels (environment and action) and ask you to look backward and forward. Take your time in answering these, and enjoy. 

• What is my dream/vision for the year that I would like to share with the world? 

• How aligned does this dream feel with my values and what I truly want for my life? 

• How might my commitment to this vision inspire others to join or support me? 

• What do I want to create this year? 

• What do I do to get inspired? 

• What do I need to do to prepare for making my dreams come true this year? 

• What am I afraid of? 

• What change am I resisting? 

• How might my fear of loss be holding me back? 

• Where are the stories of my past limiting me?

• What old habits, circumstances, or situations do I need to let go of to support my dreams this year? 

• To initiate things confidently, what needs to be released, healed, or brought to awareness? 

• How might I use the struggles and challenges of my past to create deeper meaning in my life? 

• How can I use the learnings of the past to create my future? 

• What changes do I need to make in my daily habits to improve my focus and gain momentum? 

• What things in my life are working that I need to stay focused on?