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 Last year I introduced the concept of starting your new year in February. It seemed way too stressful, on the heels of an exhausting/sleep-deprived holiday season of turkey and shortbread, to possibly summon up the energy required to implement a successful plan for the new year on January 1st.
The concept of starting the New Year in February got an overwhelmingly positive response from you, my faithful readers. It seems you high-achievers are tired and already stressed out by early January and feeling guilty about already being "behind" on the year. This year you can give yourselves a break!
I have determined that there are really only 3 things one must do in January to ensure a successful start to the year that begins officially on February 1st. Grab a cup of cocoa, put your feet up and tackle your very short To Do list that will set up a year of stress-less success.
YOUR (VERY SHORT) JANUARY TO-DO LIST
1/ REFLECT & COMPLETE: Reflecting and remembering the good, the bad, the happy and sad experiences of the past year will help you "complete" the year and leave you unencumbered as you move into a bright and joyful new year of possibility. I always recommend writing your thoughts down - in a journal, on a scrap piece of paper, or even on a dinner napkin. How did you grow last year? What did you learn? What moved you? What inspired you? What surprised you? What worked? What didn't? What do you want to change? No judgment, just a simple acknowledgement of what was. All of your experiences in 2010 will help shape your 2011. Be grateful for them all. "Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow." - Melodie Beattie
2/ CHOOSE YOUR THEME: What will your personal 2011 Theme be? Your theme is your guiding light, your North Star, and something you can reflect back to all year long. Pick a word (or three) that resonate with you. Those words will add intention to your actions in 2011 simply by holding foundational space in a big-picture sense for your activity. Write out your Theme and stick it somewhere where you can see and be reminded of it every day of the year. Watch how your Theme unfolds this year!
3/ DREAM: This is the fun part. Unplug, grab your journal, put on some music that inspires, sit in a comfy chair, close your eyes and let your mind go. Dream about the possibilities for your life this year. Ask yourself this question: "If anything were possible... What would I want this year to hold? What would I do? How would I feel?
Keep yourself in the "Imagine" state for this exercise. Amazingly, the Universe seems to respond to even the simple energy created by naming a dream and writing it down. If you can share your dreams aloud with a partner or a friend it will add another level of energy to that dream.
That's it! You are ready for the New Year! I'll look forward to banging the pots and pans with you on January 31 - our New Year's Eve!
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ATTENTION WOMEN: 
