New Year's Resolutions Bum Me Out...

New Year's Resolutions bum me out.  Here's what seems to happen to me.  I make a resolution and I don't get anywhere close to achieving it and I feel like a failure.  Or as I buzz along with my resolution and I end up tweaking it midstream, I still feel like a failure because it wasn't the original goal.  Or I set a resolution, I achieve the goal, and I feel like a failure because I then believe that I didn't set the bar high enough!  Ugh!!

So instead I wanted to create a way to set my dreams and goals in motion at the beginning of the year in a fun and inspiring way instead of a whip and chains sort of way!  Here's what I do. I write a letter to myself on January 1st and I detail everything that I have experienced and accomplished over the last twelve months.  Except that it is January 1st, 2016 not 2015.  That is right, it is a recap of the year to come.  SO FUN!! 

The idea is to dream past what feels realistic, make it bold and wild! See it, feel it, smell it, all of it!  The more detailed, the better.  Focus on four areas: livelihood, relationships, how you are taking care of yourself (body, mind and spirit) and a bonus area (whatever makes your heart sing like travel, art, philanthropy, etc.)  

It is an incredibly freeing exercise that allows you to open up to your dreams in ways that don't feel like a test, but instead inspire.  And what I really want you to focus on is the FEELING that you get from those possibilities.  For example:  "I purchased my first dream car this year, it is a white BMW X5 with tan interior, I love driving it because I feel safe and sexy at the same time and it allows me the freedom to put my bike on the back so that I can go mountain biking whenever I want."  Awesome, huh?!

So curl up with your favorite tea or a glass of wine this weekend and spend a quiet and reflective hour and let your pen fly.  Make it YOUR time.  Here's a starter for you...
"OMG...what an incredible year I have had, let me tell you what has happened..."
Cheers!  Happy New Year!