Who you are is defined by what you are willing to struggle for.
It’s that time of the year… the dark magical void between Christmas and the New Year. Everything becomes a little quieter. We become more self-aware and introspective and social and jubilant all at the same time. The way time passes changes. It’s either too fast or too slow or both.
My inbox is completely empty, bar 1 email. I have nothing ‘urgent’ left to do.
My mind is feeling reflective. It’s 2020 soon and wow, what a decade, what a year, just Woah!… Maybe you are feeling it too. Let’s take hold of this magical time — before all the excitement begins again — and let me help you recap the year/decade and set your intentions for 2020.
Here are 7 journaling questions to help you recap what just happened:
1. Who was I in 2010? What was happening in my life?
2. What were my big dreams, hopes and aspirations?
3. Who am I now? What is happening in my life?
4. What are my big dreams, hopes and aspirations?
5. What were the biggest struggle and lessons?
6. What am I most proud of?
7. What can I let go of?
Don’t worry if some of the answers you write down are embarrassing or surprise you. This is an opportunity for you to be really honest with yourself. I’m often surprised to discover what comes out from under my pen. I like that I can still reveal parts of myself that have yet been unexplored.
If you’re into it, feel free to burn what you wrote. We don’t need to hold onto anything but instead, trust that our memories, thoughts, feelings and intentions will do what we need them to.
Does that feel good?
I hope so.
Now, to the even more fun part. Setting intentions for 2020.
In the 4th question above you answered what your big dreams, hopes and aspirations are. Or maybe you struggled to define them. Either way, one thing I know about humanity is that well all want, more or less, the same thing.
Everybody wants what feels good. Everyone wants to live a carefree, happy and easy life, to fall in love and have amazing sex and relationships, to look perfect and make money and be popular and well-respected and admired and loved. Right? Right!
But what feels good to you, and even more importantly, what you are willing to struggle for, varies for each of us.
Because happiness requires struggle. The positive is the side effect of handling the negative. You can only avoid negative experiences for so long before they come roaring back to life. — Mark Manson
Let’s set some intentions together. I don’t want you to write an enormously long list. I want you to stay clear and focused. I want you to choose 3-5 really profound things that you really want this year and are willing to do the work for. If you’re not sure where to begin, I want you to go back to these 3 questions and figure out what your values are.
Now that you know, how do they guide your life into the New Year? Choose 3-5 key things that you intend for yourself and your life.
Here are my intentions for 2020:
1. Be incredibly fulfilled — financially, emotionally, soulfully — by my creative pursuits. I have some BIG projects in the works, lots of writing to do, and dreams to meet around those and they stem from my ability to be creative and create.
2. Find and settle in the perfect community space. My desire to nest, to create a beautiful permanent home, closer to my origins and spiritual roots and become part of something long-standing is irresponsible.
3. Feel really supported. I am going through so many transitions and such big growth at the moment that I am so grateful for every hand that reaches out, every piece of guidance, every gift. I am asking for help and receiving it.
4. Allow my heart and joy to lead every day, choice and decision. Life isn’t about being perfect. it’s about finding the beauty and magic in the mess of it all and I choose to embrace that and have fun with it all.
That’s it. It’s that easy.
Your turn.