In Big Bold Letters Across the Sky: your incredible year in review

2016 was quite a year. (In fact, a few expletives might come to mind!) But before you put up a new calendar, let’s take stock of the gifts, lessons, achievements and highlights from this year. If you were to put a headline on your experience of 2016, what would it be? A friend recently shared this image of looking in a rear view mirror and seeing a billboard. If you were to see your headline for 2016 on a billboard, what would it say?

Let’s explore this a little more. After you write that headline down, start by making a list of words or phrases about the highlights of your year. It might help to actually scroll back in your calendar to January. Not only what did you do and achieve, but what did you learn about yourself? What surprised you? Did you try something new? What are you most proud of?

Let’s look too at the things that didn’t go as planned. What is left unfinished? What were your biggest disappointments? If we can let go of the idea of failure, and take it as just more learning, what did you learn about yourself from these things? What is important now?

OK, now for a new column. Putting your powerful envisioning glasses on and looking towards the future, what would you like the headline for 2017 to be? I invite you to sit with that one for a bit. Perhaps you would like to close your eyes for a few minutes and take some deep breaths into your belly. See those words come before you in big letters. What is the feeling that this evokes, where does it land in your body?

Once you have it, let’s write a new list underneath that headline. What will it take to see this headline come to fruition? Write a list of qualities; abilities and strengths that you have that will bring this vision into your 2017 reality. You might be surprised at what comes up when you take the time to do this. Your list might also grow to include actions and ideas that spring forth from envisioning your headline for the coming year.

If you would care to share your headlines and lists with me, I’d love to hear from you! You can email me at Melissa@MelissaEppardCoaching.com. I hope your holidays are exactly what you need, and I hold a vision of purpose, peace and positivity for you in the year ahead!

Melissa Eppard lives in the beautiful Hudson Valley, NY area with her young son and talented musician husband. After overcoming breast cancer in her mid-30's, she knows that nothing is guaranteed in life. As a Personal Life Coach she has made it her mission to ignite the spark of purposeful living and creative fire in everyone she meets. www.MelissaEppardCoaching.com