To resolve or not to resolve – that is often the question at this time of year. Many of us make New Year’s Resolutions because we know there are things we want, or need, to start or stop doing and this is our opportunity to try and make those changes. There are also many of us that recognize we are not actually going to follow through on our resolutions, or don’t like the idea of once-a-year resolutions, so we don’t make them. Or perhaps we realize that we are constantly growing and changing, and that the New Year is simply a time to recognize the growth we’ve accomplished and to look forward to the possibilities in the upcoming year.

One of my favorite things to do at the beginning of each year is to use the Annual Review and Planning Guide that I received from Coach Carol deLaski a few years ago. The guide is a series of questions that encourage me to look back on the past year to “savor the blessings and evaluate how the year went”. Then, it asks me to look towards the upcoming year to “envision the year ahead” which allows me to set intentions for who I want to be and what I want to accomplish. This important annual review process is a form of re-awakening for me – a special time when I can recognize how much I have changed and grown in a year, and to ask – and answer – some tough questions about what I’ve done and who I’ve been, and to look towards the upcoming year to see what I want to do and who I want to be.

This is my third year doing this process, and reading back over the past few years, I discovered something that I already sub-consciously knew, but didn’t have the evidence to back up before – every year, there are a few of the exact same items that keep showing up on the list of what I want to change in the upcoming year, but I have yet to make those adjustments. So I have to ask myself – do I really want to change these things, or do I just say that I do and hide behind excuses as to why it doesn’t happen?

That’s a tough question for me. There are so many areas of my life that are wonderful and moving forward in the direction I want – my grown kids are all independent and doing well; my husband and I are creating the life we want; I sold a business that had become burdensome; and I’m making plans to travel – a lot – in the upcoming years. But there are two areas that I consistently say I need to change – one is my health and the other is initiating contact with people – which I don’t follow through on. I notice that I allow those two unmet goals to overshadow the forward movement I make in everything else.

For 2016, one of my intentions is to come to terms with those two goals. If I honestly feel that the goal is an area that I want to focus on, then I need to set the intention and create a plan to move towards that goal. However, if it is on my list simply because it’s been there in the past but didn’t get done, I need to take an honest look as to whether or not it should still be on the list, and make decisions accordingly. It may need to come off the list, or it may need to be re-evaluated and my expectations changed.

I encourage each and every one of you to reflect on this past year and to envision the upcoming one. If you do, there are a few ideas that may help:

• Give yourself the gift of time. It may take several days or a week. In any case, be sure that the time is spent in peace and quiet, without other interruptions.
• Be honest with yourself, but be kind. If you find yourself focusing on the negatives of last year rather than the positives, think about how you would encourage a friend that was feeling that way.
• Consider the goals for the upcoming year as intentions. This allows you to take into consideration where to start, rather than how to finish. Think about the commitments you’re willing to make in order to move forward.
• Decide how you want to remember these goals/intentions. Whether it is a vision board, an accountability partner, or another source, it is important to keep the vision in front of you throughout the year.

I hope that you are able to take some time – both now and throughout the year – to recognize your accomplishments and steps you have made to move forward. I look forward to seeing and interacting with the Wholistic Woman Community in the upcoming year as we grow and become even more intentional about how we live our life.

Karen Smith Racicot is an Affiliate Coach with the Wholistic Coaching Coalition and owner of E3Coaching. She has also worked in the accounting field for over 25 years. She is passionate about helping women organize their financial paperwork so that they are able to navigate life’s inevitable challenges and helps turn them into opportunities. She can be reached at [email protected].

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