A Look Ahead

2016 is upon us and this is the year of new beginnings. Every year, usually on January 1st, human beings, from around the world, sit and reflect on the past year and then look ahead to the new year. The new year remains the promise of a better year, a better future, and the promise of a new beginning. The promise of the new year is that we can put the past year behind us and the new year will welcome us with open arms. I think there is this belief that the new year just has to be better and that we will automatically receive its blessings, even if we don't do anything to earn them. This is not reality and I think that most people realize this, even if they don't want to admit it. 

The new year is the promise of a new beginning, but its blessings are not guaranteed without effort on our part. So the question becomes, how do we achieve greater blessings in the new year? I have spent some time thinking about this and the answer seems to start with reflection. If the past is painful, and let's be honest it usually is, then I try not to spend a lot of time reflecting on it, after all thinking about it is only going to make me sad. This year I had no intention on reflecting on 2015, beyond what already was flowing into my thoughts, but then I came across a post for a 2015 and 2016 worksheet. This worksheet struck my curiosity and I felt compelled to try the worksheet. I am glad I tried the worksheet and I have some ideas of how I am going to incorporate the worksheet into a scrapbook, which I will share when I have finished it. 

The worksheet activity began with a reflection on 2015 and asked you to answer 6 questions: greatest lesson learned, hardest thing this year, my biggest accomplishment, how I was really helpful, favorite memory, my favorite book, and my favorite movie. These seemed like fairly basic questions, but the answers themselves were tricky and I was surprised at how much I had to think about some of the answers. This aspect of reflecting on the past year can be modified and include other questions, such as top disappointments, top blessings, game changers, and areas of focus. The point of the activity is just to reflect and I think including some of your favorites is a good way to put a positive spin on an otherwise difficult year. After you finish reflecting on 2015, you are encouraged to look ahead to 2016.

The worksheet activity for 2016 again asks you questions, this time 5: what I want to learn, one thing I want to be better at, I want to try, I want to change how I, and some goals for 2016. Of course there are other questions that you could add to this list, but I think these questions were really good at forcing you to think about what you wanted to accomplish this year. Asking yourself what you want to learn, what you want to be better at, and how you want to change are great catalysts for setting achievable goals in 2016. If I want to learn a new language then I know that I need to begin to learn a new language by taking a class at the community college or utilizing online learning resources. Thinking and writing about your goals for a new year gives you the foundation to begin to achieve your goals. This activity also shifts the responsibility from the universe onto you. If you want a better year and a better future then it is up to you to change it, to make 2016 into something wonderful for you.