Ready to put 2023 in the rear view mirror?
Anyone? Just me?
What a year it has been. Lessons on lessons, gifts and opportunities, big wins and painful losses. 2023 has certainly been a powerful year, quite possibly one of the most impactful of my life on many levels.
I’m excited for new adventures and opportunities, and as much as I'm looking forward to what's ahead, I'm taking a much needed pause before blindly running ahead.
Deep reflection and a bit of inventory. How am I different from last year? What have I learned? What have I achieved? What were my biggest wins? Greatest challenges? What am I grateful for? How am I feeling?
I feel accomplished in how much I've grown and all that I've learned.
I feel gratitude for the beautiful life that I have the privilege of living.
I feel love for the amazing people in my life who continue to show up for me unconditionally.
I feel excitement for what I'm creating for 2024.
I feel complete in what I am leaving in 2023.
And most importantly, I feel compassion for myself in where I am, where I want to be, and the gap between the two.
I'm not a fan of New Year's Resolutions. The last thing I need is another list of shit that I need to do so that I can feel accomplished. It’s exhausting. We don’t need another random list of demands and should do’s adding pressure and expectations to our already full lives. We’re sold this story that If you just do more, you will have more and then you will be more.
More of what???
That was me, year after year, coming in hot, armed with expectations, game plans and a belief that this year would be different.
Spoiler alert, it wasn't.
Isn’t that the definition of insanity? No more. It’s time for a new approach.
The typical New Year’s resolution is created from the do, have, be framework. What do I need to DO in order to HAVE the things I want, so that I can BE happy. Sounds reasonable, but this is the equivalent of trying to pack for a vacation when you don’t know your destination.
How can you know what you need to do BEFORE you have clarity on who you are, and who you want to become?
Here’s the thing. Your successes, failures and everything in between hinge on your identity, on how you perceive yourself and the story you tell yourself about who you believe you are. Trying to do something to achieve a goal you don’t feel worthy of is like trying to climb a mountain wearing flip flops with socks and carrying a backpack full of bricks instead of yummy snacks!
Instead of creating another random to-do list, set your focus on self-discovery and growth. Get to know you, the real, unapologetic, authentic you. You know, the you that you buried under everyone else’s expectations. She's in there, invite her out to play.
Aligning your goals, hopes, dreams, and desires with your true identity is like finding the missing piece of a puzzle. It's that moment of clarity when everything falls into place, creating a complete and beautiful picture of your life. It's a profound realization that allows you to live authentically where your aspirations and actions become seamless and deeply fulfilling, free from external pressures and expectations.
I invite you to stop and take your own pause. In the hustle of achievement, we often overlook the profound beauty of taking a moment to reconnect with our true selves. Embracing authenticity is a journey of self-compassion where you get to acknowledge that you are already enough.