How was 2016 for you?
Need an end of year ritual to finish the year? No matter what happened, you have the power to start anew and completely change your experience in 2017.
We know that when the clocks tick over, nothing really magical happens. It’s just a day like any other.
I don’t know about you though – it really feels for me like a chance to completely shift things. A fresh start!
Let’s end the year with one really simple but profound end of year ritual.
And it’s easy to do.
The exercise is make a list of everything you’re proud of over the last year.
Sounds easy, but trickier than it sounds.
First – do this with a partner.
That’s key, so you don’t chicken out and get all whakamā, like “I dunno. I guess I did some … stuff..?”
Do this with someone who gets you and really “sees” you and your accomplishments and who will entice more out of you.
Take turns asking each other what you’re proud of.
Start with “I’m proud of…” and list out things like:
- Business accomplishments
- Tricky situations that you dealt with
- Boundaries you enforced
- Goals you hit
- Personal accomplishments
Anything that you want to acknowledge yourself for. Don’t be whakamā or modest. Time to really shine a light on everything you’ve done.
And seriously – it’s kind of hard to remember everything. So, here’s how to take it to the next level.
Your partner simply asks you,
“What else?”
And then silence. No prompting. No jumping in for their turn. Just ask the question “What else?” and wait.
Keep asking until you have at LEAST 50 brags.There will be lots of pauses when you think you’re done and then, “Oh yeah! I forgot about this one!” Then keep asking, “What else?”
Trust me, you’ll be buzzing at the end of it, so don’t give up.
The list of brags is important but the question “What else?” is extremely important. You’ll probably get stuck at about five things you’re proud of, because you don’t want to brag, you discount your accomplishments or you’ve just forgotten.
Did 2016 suck?
I did this with a friend who thought she had a bad year until we did this exercise. It took us 45 minutes and she ended up with 42 things she was proud of, but it took some digging.
That’s why the question is so important. Keep asking and don’t give up.
Blowing your own trumpet is GOOD for you. It’s awesome to remember everything, it’s great for manifesting to acknowledge all your wins, big and small so you can attract even more luck and abundance into the new year.
Work on a mix of business and personal, as long as you get at least 30-50 good things.
If you do it by yourself, eventually you’ll run out of steam and move on to something else. For the best results, you need a partner to hold the space and to gently ask, “What else?”
As soon as you run out of brags …. what else?
When you think you haven’t done anything good …. what else?
As soon as you think there’s nothing else to celebrate …. what else?
If you tell yourself it was a bad year …. what else?
When you think you’ve written everything …. what else?
By the way, you don’t just have to do this as an end of year ritual… you could do it monthly or quarterly.
I’d love you to share yours in the comments. Go for at least 5!
Here are just some of mine for 2016:
- Started the iWahine NZ Facebook business page and increased reach to over 8,600 followers
- Increased website visits and signups
- Started an eNewsletter and grew list to over 2,400 subscribers
- Ran webinars that people signed up for and attended live
- Helped a number of wahine in business
- Helped a number of wahine in their roles and careers
- Invested in my personal growth and learning
- Secured contracts with ‘like-minded’ organizations
- Set boundaries with people in my life
- Forgave people
- Stepped down from roles that were no longer aligned with my purpose
- Said “No” more often
- Removed a number of distractions so I could stay focused on my goals
- Sold a property
- Got monthly massages
- Organized a surprised birthday party for my oldest sister
- Met a number of fabulous wahine who have become good friends
- Built solid relationships
- Continued to exercise regularly
- Implemented a regular uplifting morning routine
- Had a stress-free Christmas
- Told people I love that I loved them often
- Spent more time just ‘being’ and was ok with that
- Read one personal development book a month
- Developed and delivered a Maori women leadership programme
- Developed a high-performance programme
Your turn!
Post yours below – would love to hear them big and small (please don’t be shy – brag your butt off) and next time you’re having a bad day, have a read over everything awesome you’ve accomplished.
Imagine me saying to you “what else?” every time you get stuck.
Happy new year – it’s your time and you’re ready for the next step.
2017 is YOUR YEAR.
Arohanui
Awhimai
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Awhimai Reynolds is a Business Adviser, Leadership Coach and Consultant. She is passionate about leadership development and women in business. Contact Awhimai at www.iWahine.nz or on FB https://www.facebook.com/iWahineNZ/ and LinkedIn https://nz.linkedin.com/in/awhimaireynolds
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