Reflect on the Past, Rock the New Year

November 28, 2017

Note From Rochelle

Dear Readers,

I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoyed all of the post-holiday shopping specials. And I’ve got an extra-cool cyber coaching special for you.

As we reflect on the year past and plan for the new one, it’s important to line up the help we need to move forward. If you’re hoping to jumpstart your New Year by starting a blog or writing a book, I can help. I can support you in planning your project, creating a writing schedule, and overcoming obstacles. From now until the end of December, I’m offering my six-session Writer Mentoring Package for just $549 through midnight Friday, September 8. (The package usually runs $687.) If you’re interested, send me an email (rochelle@writenowcoach.com) or set up a complimentary consultation.

The year is almost over, and it’s time to reflect on the past year. Today’s tip will help you do just that!

Enjoy!

Rochelle

Reflect on the Past, Rock the New Year

by Rochelle Melander

I give you this to take with you: Nothing remains as it was. If you know this, you can begin again, with pure joy in the uprooting. —Judith Minty

My husband grew up in Vermont, close to the Canadian border. Every time we visit his family and friends, we take at least one trip into Canada. In both directions, someone from the border patrol stops the car, inspects passports and asks several questions. On the way home, the border patrol officer usually asks: Where did you travel? Business or pleasure? What did you purchase?

As we plan to say good-bye to 2017 and enter a New Year, it’s a great time to play Border Patrol with our lives. No matter how this past year has gone, we’ll benefit from examining what worked, what didn’t, and what we’re taking with us into 2018.

Today’s quest will help you do just that.

The Quest

Make a list of the creative work you’ve done in the past year. Include everything in your list, even the stuff you do because you have to (like hanging out on Twitter, doing research, or sending out invoices.) Add to the list the artistic things you did, unique places you traveled, and creative people you connected to for both business and pleasure.

What lessons, achievements, and tools are you taking with you into the New Year? Declare it!

Review your goals for last year. What had you hoped to work on this year? Perhaps you wanted to journal more, write a novel, or release an ebook. Maybe you’d planned to start a blog or take up an exercise routine. As you look at what you’ve actually done, make a list of the activities or goals you’ve forgotten to work on.

Evaluate how this past year’s creative endeavors (list #1) matched up with your goals (list #2). In other words:

Did you accomplish what you set out to do?
Did you forget or let go of any of your goals?
Did you get to do enough of the work that brings you joy?
If you wanted to earn income through writing, did you achieve that goal?

Finally, as you review the two lists, ask:

What kinds of creative work do I want to do less of?
What kinds of creative work do I want to do more of?
What sort of creative journeys do I hope to take next year?

Like bread after its been needed, let these answers rest. In the coming weeks, ideas for what you want your New Year to look like will come to you. Keep your journal nearby so that you can jot down notes about what you’re hoping for.

Game Play Tips

+You will have some immediate answers to these questions. Write them down and honor them. But you may also want to sit with the questions for a bit until the right answer shows up.

+If possible, make a note of your energy and passion around what you accomplished. Perhaps you achieved a big goal, like ghostwriting a book for a client, but you hated every minute of it. That’s important information. Note that.