dreaming up the year ahead

I invite you to close your eyes and think about the year that lies before you
What do you want to unfold
What dreams do you wish will come true
What do you want to overcome
How do you want to feel
What do you want to make happen
What is it that you want more or less of
Who do you want to be along with you for the ride

Go ahead, take your time
Think deeply about the next 365 days
Each one a chance to begin again
Each moment a new opportunity
What are you hoping for
What is your heart whispering
Which roads do you want to travel
Do you know exactly where you want to go

Nothing in life happens unless we make it so
We must set our dreams into motion
Speak them out loud
Tell other people of our goals
Show up and put in the hard work
Lean in
Navigate the unexpected
Make the plans but be ready to veer off course

You know where you want to go
Set those dreams into motion by writing about them
Imagine it is November 21, 2017 and you are looking back
What happened
Who did you spend your time with
What did you do
Where did you go
How did you feel

Go ahead, grab a piece of paper and get writing
Start with your year at a glance
Then break it into six month chunks
What happened
Now really dig in
And explore each month
Be as detailed as possible not leaving anything out
Write your best year yet  

Trust what flowed out of you
And seal it in an envelope
Find a safe place for it to  be for a year
And go on living day by day
Next year I will remind you
To pull it out and open it up
A precious opportunity to see how far yo have come
And celebrate what has come true   

Each January I make a list of my wildest hopes and dreams, nothing is off limits.  It is such a fun exercise to do, giving myself permission to spill open.  But as the season is changing and shifts are happening in my life I am feeling more of a call to go in deeper.  I want to dream the big picture then dig into the details.  I want to give myself permission to say yes to my hearts deepest desires.  And so I am going to do just that.  Looking out a year ahead and dreaming of all I hope it will be.  I invite you to do the same.  Carve out some time, settle in, and give yourself permission to listen to your hearts deepest calling.  It knows where you want to go.