As many of us take down our Christmas decorations and consider what 2016 may bring, I pose a question to you:
Where in your life have you shone brightly as a star in the last year?
Reflection
You may not be able to answer straight away, and need time to reflect back over the last twelve months. So let me give you some ideas to get you started...
What have been your highlights, your 'ta-dah!' moments - something you're really proud of? These will be different for everybody and could affect any part of your life. They will depend on what values you hold true to yourself. E.g. what really matters to you, what is at the core of what you really believe in?
Isn't it time to celebrate?
Perhaps it focuses on self-confidence, decision making, trying something new or even applying for a promotion. What may seem insignificant to you could be a huge accomplishment for somebody else. After all we all have different dreams of what we want to achieve in life. So take a few moments, look back and really celebrate your successes.
So how did you get on? What are you most proud of? And how does it feel to reconnect with those feelings of success again? If you really connect with those feelings or visions you might even experience a tingle up and down your spine or the hairs stand up on your neck. Whilst you bask in the glory of this, what do you notice about yourself? Perhaps you stand taller or feel more confident. What did your success mean to you and what change did it bring to your life? There are a few questions to answer here so take your time and really relive those experiences through visualising it, tapping into the feelings you felt at the time or recalling the sounds you heard at the time.
I expect some of you reading this are saying "well 2015 didn't go too well for me and I haven't achieved anything" - I challenge you to revaluate this answer and think about what has made you the person you are today? What have you stood by, committed to or in some cases walked away from? For the majority of the time our actions are based on staying true to those values - so whether you initially realise it or not - you have achieved something. Go on, have another look back... find something?
In what part of your life would you like to shine more in 2016?
Recalling this time last year - were you caught up in the annual tradition of making new year's resolutions that you weren't really committed too? Did you get caught up in the moment? Get carried away as friends and family shared their ideas? Did you actually achieve any of your resolutions that you set this time last year?
What is your thought process right now? Have you started to consider resolutions again for 2016? And are you really committed to these? I challenge you to think differently about the start of the New Year and answer this question:
It's all about choice!
Choose a new year's resolution that really means something to you and your values. Choose something that excites you and really does send a tingle up and down your spine. Close your eyes for a moment and imagine what it would be life to achieve it, feel it, see it and live it!
Using the start of 2016 as a catalyst for change, now consider the following:
•Why have you chosen this action? What does it really mean to you?
•How could you commit to this action?
•Who could help you?
•What will keep you motivated?
It's important to get a sense of what you are trying to achieve and the reasons why you are doing it - are you really doing it for yourself? Or just caught up on the moment or trying to please someone else. Put yourself first for once. You deserve it.
Still committed? That's great! Now it's time to take the next steps and commit to action. Tell someone else about your goal (a friend, colleague or your coach), write it down and put it somewhere where you can regularly check in and remind yourself how it's going.
2016 is going to be an amazing year, go spread those wings!