Imagining an empowered new year

The promise of a new year brings a natural close and a fresh start. So does the end and beginning of a new day. And embracing and committing to new and unfolding pieces of your life and your career.

Endings and beginnings are a time of fullness and possibility. And one always comes with the other. Tag-team style.

It's when we take a look back and view the highlight reel. We revel (and indulge) in our favorite seasonal traditions. And we make all kinds of promises to ourselves as we start January with a clean slate. The opportunity to reflect and intend is too good to pass up.

It's why so many of us, resolute, make our list of how we will be better, do better, have more in the next year than we did in the one just behind us. And why others of us walk around letting everyone know that we don't believe in resolutions.

Let's do something different this year. Let's imagine that you are in control of what you create in the next 12 months. Of course, we're living in the real world, so this doesn't preclude unexpected curveballs or windfalls or course adjustments.

For the purposes of this exercise, let's know that everything you're planning, doing, thinking, proposing, dreaming up, letting go of or saying yes or no to is within your control.

Hear me out.

It may require work. It may require changing your perspective or your thinking. It may require you to do some heavy inner and outer lifting, housecleaning or honest truth telling. But can you do it? Not a doubt.

It doesn't matter how you dream, design and live what matters most to you. Only that you gather your personal power back to you.

If resolutions are your thing (they're not mine but we're all motivated differently), then go for it. If you want to meditate your way into a new vision, by all means. If you've got your action list divided into all the areas of your life with an Excel spreadsheet, have at it. Just be sure that you aren't abdicating the driver's seat.

Let's now imagine that you accomplished some important things in the last 12, successes that you're able to build on as you move to where you're headed next.

Not sure that's true? Now's the time to let that story go. I'm quite sure that you did and will be happy to brainstorm that with you if needed.

Let's also imagine that how we end our endings has a lot to do with how we begin our beginnings. As it has been said, how we do anything is how we do everything. And while some will argue whether that maxim is Truth, there's enough small-t truth in it from my experience to look for what it can teach me.

Finally, what if we allow the reality that you can create your endings and beginnings when it's right for you. If you missed the boat in December or January, you've got 10 other months to choose from. No excuses, but also no judgment. During several years, I have been moving or traveling at the year end, and that encouraged me to define my own endings and beginnings as it suits. Fully embracing and embodying big changes will do that.

So let's get cracking.

How do you acknowledge where you have grown, succeeded, overcome a challenge, or made a single important step forward?
Where have you learned a lesson that will serve you well?
Who do you need to be in next 12 months to get more of what you want?
Where are your yeses going to land you in the new year?
What feels ripe and full of promise? What feels like it's fallen flat?
What do you most want for yourself and others?
And what will you choose to do about it?