💎 My 2017: Welcoming the New Year - Envisioning My Best Year Yet!
For the New Year transition, I enjoy ending and beginning each year like a high-flying eagle, with a fresh perspective from the heights. In order to achieve this big picture overview on life, I examine my roles, beliefs, affirmations, reminders, and goals, and then I create space for journaling and planning. I look at these things with my mind and feel them with my heart, seeking the guidance of my higher self.
Specifically, I create a Google Doc called "Best Year Yet" each year, outlining my commitments and aspirations. I return to this document almost every day, for the following activities: journaling, record-keeping, managing tasks, tracking achievements, defining and re-defining my desires. This may seem like a mind-numbing activity for someone with too much time on their hands, but trust me when I tell you there's freedom in it. There is hope, clarity, peace, love, and lightness.
The Backstory
I started this tradition six years ago, after attending an event called "My Best Year Yet," led by a world-renowned parenting coach named Carrie Contey, Ph.D., who led us through a book called Your Best Year Yet! by Jinny S. Ditzler. In this workshop, we answered 10 questions that helped us to discover our values, lessons, and goals. Most rewarding, though, Carrie Contey assisted us in accessing a higher state of consciousness, through practicing an attitude of gratitude.
Note: Here, I'll summarize, in case you'd like to create a "Best Year Yet" document for yourself.
The Resolution
Each year, this document begins with The Resolution. This is like a mantra or a rallying cry, summarizing my deepest desires for the new year. For example, here are my New Year's resolutions for each of the past 5 years: "Having Fun Getting a Ton Done" in 2013; "Spirited Living," 2014; "Vibrant Living," 2015, "I Am Wonderworking," 2016; and "I Bloom Where I Am Planted," 2017. My 2018 resolution is this: "Rise and Shine."
This new resolution, "Rise and Shine," is a reminder to seek and find my higher self, letting the light inside be my guide. Along with that, it's a reminder to wake up! For too long, I've repeated the same mistakes, lost in an ego trip, chasing someone else's dreams, and/or following some old patterns of behavior that brought be down and dimmed my light. Old attitudes like worry, grief, and anger will be remedied in this new year by observing these, with a soft gaze, having compassion on myself and embracing myself just as I am. The Resolution is my commitment to myself.
The Affirmations
The Affirmations are a series of powerful statements that affirm who I am, according to my higher self. After declaring The Resolution for the year, I have a clear and concise list of positive affirmations that support the overarching commitment. In case you're unfamiliar with the expression "positive affirmation," this is a statement that brings firmness in thoughts, words, and actions, helping to raise a person's state of being nearer to the higher self. This is like the "Law of Attraction," discussed in the 2006 film, The Secret. Anyhow, I'll share The Affirmations for 2018 so you can see the thought and heart behind them.
The Affirmations on my list include: (1) The Reminders; (2) The Goals; (3) The New Paradigm, and (4) The Roles. First, I remember my history, with a list of The Reminders, helping me to remember who, what, when, where, and why I am. Next, I look forward, with a list of The Goals, or prayers, helping me to focus on the finer things in life, for the future. Third, I like to articulate The New Paradigm each year because my beliefs tend to expand and evolve over time, and it's good to open myself to new possibilities. Fourth, The Roles affirm who I am in relation with other people. For example, I'm a family man, and so I have certain responsibilities that come with this role, compared with the self-centered kid I used to be.
The Reminders: (1) I am love, in love, loved and lovable; (2) I am a soul, spirited and inspired; (3) I am gladly filled with gratitude; (4) I am firm and flexible; (5) I am brilliant and beautiful; (6) I am presently here and now.
The Goals: (1) I rise in alignment with my higher self; (2) I shine my Light, reflecting the divinity in me; (3) I release what does not serve; (4) I practice healthy living by honoring the sacredness of my mind, heart, body, soul, and Spirit; (5) I enjoy abundant playtime with my family; (6) I enjoy expansive intimacy with my partner; (7) I honor and appreciate the divine opulence that grants me freedom; (8) I enjoy connections that support my higher aspirations; (9) I celebrate the completion of good works; (10) I am receptive as a channel for meaningful expression.
The New Paradigm: I radiate. I radiate. I radiate, with brilliance and beauty, embracing my God-given gifts, and glowing through the works of my mind, heart, body, and soul. I rise and shine like the sun, moon, and stars, in all I am.
The Roles: Self-Caregiver, Parent, Partner, Brother, Friend, Child, Creator, Performer, Trailblazer, Teacher, Healer, Listener, Speaker...
The Journal
My "Best Year Yet" document continues with an open space for journaling. I love to write whenever inspiration strikes, and these journal entries often find their way into my Steemit posts. For example, this year I started the Steemit Gratitude Journal, which encourages us to document what we're thankful for–this activity extends the attitude of gratitude. In addition to my Gratitude journal entries, I also document my Dreams, Stories, and Memories, along with an area of spiritual discoveries, called "Santo Dieta," which means Holy Diet. The Holy Diet category of journal posts includes experiences and insights achieved through meditation, concentration, and creative expression.
Here are a few examples:
170106 - Gratitude: Little Gabriel walks out of bed nearly every night and hops in with us. He’s a great sleeper, and he’s so happy to be with us. It’s a real joy for both Kat and I to have Gabriel’s company. Occasionally lately, Rosalie has joined us too. And on a rare occasion, all five of us cram into the bed for a snuggle session. I just love these kids.
170521 - Santo Dieta: Brian leaves for Sundance tomorrow. I’ve been thinking of him a lot lately. I tied my first feather - a goose feather, for practice. I decided to tie a feather each day while Brian’s at Sundance. I sent Brian and Stephanie a text, calling them my “Uncle” and “Auntie.” He wrote back, “Thank you, love you Nephew.” I feel so grateful to be respected and respectful in this way, honoring my teachers with these names, and honoring my mentorship, and my commitment to learning.
170712 - Dream: I’m with Zach and Cady. We’re making crafts together. A voice says to me: “Go now.” I feel like this message might be for them, but I keep it to myself because I’m not sure. I realize this “Go now” message could be interpreted in many ways. To me, it feels like an invitation, like the time is right to move forward and begin something. I’m seeing bats and owls, and noticing divinity in these, recognizing similarities with human bodies, and their superior abilities to see, in some ways. Different ways of seeing for different kinds of seeing.
The Plan
This section of the "Best Year Yet" document is designed to align me with my Path, including the Path for my life and my work. The Plan for my life includes a daily routine, which I'll share on Steemit someday. The Plan also includes a long list of The Projects I have in the works, along with The Resources to help me complete these tasks. Here, I have long-term projects and short-term projects, large and small, with everything in between. Lots of these are business-related, while others are passion projects. The Plan ends with a list of Achievements, celebrating each completion.
The Conclusion
I'm happy to report that the "Best Year Yet" document has supported me well through the past six years, as I've emerged as a professional videographer. This system has allowed me to manage my workload and my family life while also completing a feature-length documentary film, publishing three books, and much more. Let me know if you'd like to know more about any of this. I'm happy to share!
Note: This post is prompted by a noteworthy Contest, designed to showcase the New Year's celebrations across the world, thanks to @anomadsoul and @blocktrades. I greatly appreciate this kind of Steemit community challenge, encouraging us to share our unique stories, traditions, values, and cultures.
This post contains 100% original content by @cabelindsay.
What an inspiring post and what a great way to look towards a new year. Did you also do the cool marker art? I love it. Even though it is just the days on a calendar, there is something exciting about turning over that last day of December into the newness of a new year stretched before you.
Ah, you again. What a pleasure to hear from you once more. Thank you. Yep, I made the marker art in order to share some creative time with my kids, and these pictures also help me to exercise the art in me. Yeah, I'm with you–the new door of December 31 is so inviting and the other side of that door on January 1 is so enlivening! I just love the New Year holiday.
Am I a pest? Sorry, I just get excited by steemit when I see things that I want to comment about. Maybe I should curb that, it's like being too 'talkative' IRL ;)
A pest?! Not at all, you're a beloved, kind-hearted, talented, welcomed new sister in my life! And I mean it. Really happy to know you, and really appreciative of your comments. Thank you again again.
nice post. happy new year
Happy New Year to you too!
It’s great that you’ve been able to stick to your own tradition.
“I am firm and flexible” I should use that too!
Hey, thanks for your reply! In my work, when we're with a team and we're rallying our forces together, we say "Firmeza!" It's a Portuguese expression that roughly translates to "firmness," but this term means something so much more too. It's a firmness, so it is a strength but not at all a rigidness, so it's a flexible kind of strength. For example, we can be firm in our thoughts and the greater strength comes from a flexibility, like a lotus flower blooming from the mud, or a desert flower sprouting up and blossoming, even in the fiercest wind.
This has been a common theme in my 2017. Very similar to something I just wrote. I learned to stop fighting against what I don’t like because that kind of rigidity will only break me. Instead I just work on what I do like and ignore the rest unless I see something positive I can do
Aho. I honor you for accentuating the positive. Thanks for doing that. It's a practice for me–holding an attitude of firmeza. Ultimately, I think it makes a big difference in the world when people (even the littlest people) make healthy choices like this with our thoughts, words, and actions. It's a love ripple with far-reaching waves. It's a way of making and keeping peace in the world, beginning with being peace right here and now just as we are.
That seems like a really cool way to document and continue to make goals through out the year! Just wondering how often you update and add to it? I also love your marker drawings and that last lettering gif! They turned out beautifully :) The rainbow colors gives this page life!
Thank so much. These marker drawings are a lot of fun for me–I made a practice of drawing every morning, exercising those rainbow colors, and imagining what each animal meant to me as one of my relations. To answer your question, I generally add to the document at least once every day, writing new journal entries, updating the project list, checking the resources... If I miss a day, I try to go back and add a journal entry for the date I missed.
oo ok awesome! So it truly is an ongoing daily journey :)
This is amazing and thanks for sharing. As I've gotten older I've started trying to do this more and more, but always end up stopping or starting over, maybe this is the year I see this to completion get serious about my goals and document all the great times!
Rock on, my friend. Yeah, and there's one immediate benefit anyone can enjoy with a document like this: ample material for Steemit posts! Thanks for your comment, and I'll see you behind the scenes on #ocd. Cheers and Happy New Year!!
I mentioned you twice this week ! Check out my new post, you inspired it!
Oh my! I've got to figure out how to track mentions. Thank you so much for your mentions. I'm really happy to see you are running with that "firm and flexible" idea. Rock on!!
amazing! the best luck for win the contest :)
Hey, thanks a lot! Happy to meet another newcomer here on Steemit. Looks like you're starting great, so keep up the good work!
Good Work, Cabe. Proud of you, rad daddy!