Quote of the Week

“Reflect on your present blessings, of which every man has many; not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.”
- Charles Dickens

A Note From Andrea

In order for me to enjoy my own family this holiday season, this is the last Coaching Tip of the Week for 2008. Look for your next Tip on January 10, 2009. I wish you all the love and happiness this season can bring and may the New Year find you healthy, happy, prosperous and full of joy.

Top Ten End-of-the-Year Questions
by Michael Angier

In order to embrace the new, we must release the old. A trapeze artist cannot swing from one bar to another without letting go.

An important part of preparing for the New Year is to review the past year–to release it–and to learn from it.

To go where we wish to go and be whom we wish to be, we need to know where we are and who we are. An honest self-analysis is always helpful to gain clarity. As we end the year, it seems particularly fitting to devote some time to reflecting on the year past and where we find ourselves as the new year dawns.

The following questions should stimulate your thinking for this process. I hope you take time out of your busy schedule this holiday season to ponder where you are and where you’ve been.

Enter into discussions with people you care about. Write out your thoughts and feelings. Do some journaling. Consider writing a letter–an end-of-the-year epistle–to yourself. It could be profound to write it and valuable to read it in the years ahead.

Reflect upon what you did, how you felt, what you liked, what you didn’t and what you learned. Try to look at yourself and your experience with as much objectivity as you can–much like a biographer would.

Here are some suggestions to get you started in mulling over the past year. Feel free to add your own.

1. What did I learn? (skills, knowledge, insights, etc.)
2. What did I accomplish? A list of my wins and achievements.
3. What would I have done differently? Why?
4. What did I complete or release? What still feels incomplete to me?
5. What were the most significant events of the year past? List the top three.
6. What did I do right? What do I feel especially good about?
7. What was my greatest contribution?
8. What were the fun things I did? What were the not-so-fun?
9. What were my biggest challenges/roadblocks/difficulties?
10. How am I different this year than last?
11. For what am I particularly grateful?

Another Suggestion: Consider listing all the things in your life of which you’d like to let go–anything you no longer want. Give thanks for what they’ve brought you in terms of learning and usefulness and then burn the list. It’s a symbolic gesture to help you release the old and be open to the new. The next step is to list what you DO want–experiences, knowledge, material things, relationships, healings, whatever.

In doing this, you’ll be using the principle of vacuum– releasing what you don’t want and embracing what you do.

I’m confident that anything you can do to make this event become more dramatic in terms of your own personal and spiritual growth will be valuable.

Make it a great New Year by ending the last one well.

Copyright Michael Angier & Success Networks International. Used with Permission.
Michael Angier is the founder and president of SuccessNet.org.

Coaching Call to Action

First and foremost, enjoy this blessed holiday season with family, friends, and loved ones. Secondly, assess 2008 as Michael prompts you to do.  Thirdly, plan for 2009 using the information below.

I’d love to hear from you about what you discover as you take time to reflect and plan.  Please take a minute to comment on my blog.

Ideas and Information

Accomplishments and Goals

It’s time to get started on your master plan for 2009. Give yourself some quiet time, put on some relaxing music . . . and begin. First acknowledge all that you have accomplished in 2008. (See Michael’s suggestions in the above article). Next, write down your goals for 2009. Open your mind to ALL the possibilities. Start each goal with “I am” or I will”. Don’t even THINK about restricting yourself. This process may take two hours. It may take two weeks. Remember, you’re building what you want in your life. To help you with this process, here are some key questions to ask yourself:

What do I want to do?
What do I want to have?
Where do I want to go?
What contribution do I want to make?
What do I want to learn?
Who do I want to meet and spend my time with?
How much do I want to earn, save and invest?
What will I do for fun and optimum health?

To receive a form to capture your accomplishments for 2008 and your goals for 2009, send Andrea an e-mail at andrea@coachandrea.com with “Accomplishments and Goals” in the subject line.

Other articles you might be interested in:

1. Make it a R-E-A-L Holiday Season
2. Holiday Poem
3. Don’t Stop Asking So Many Questions
4. GREAT QUESTIONS: Who Are You?
5. You Are NOT Your Business

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