Preparing for 2013

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Image via afieldjournal.blogspot.com

Over the past couple of days, as I have been preparing to teach my NYE workshop, Reflect, Release, and Restore (which I'm teaching at TSD at 2:30pm today!), I've once again been struck by the power of self-reflection or svadhyaya (self-study) as a way in which to get to know ourselves and the world around us better--or as a way to see things in a different light. I've said it many times before, but I think that if you don't engage in some sort of self-study at some point during the year, you'll definitely miss out on a deeper relationship with yourself and a deeper understanding of where your emotions and reactions truly come from. 

So, as we all prepare for 2012 to turn into 2013 and embrace the fresh start that a new year can bring, I wanted to share some of my favorite journaling prompts for the New Year. I highly encourage using this time of year as a time for introspection, reflection, and goal-making, and I believe that often it can help to have a starting point for this process.  Therefore, I have pulled the following questions from a much bigger list of questions from Sarah Susanka's book, The Not So Big Life. These prompts are part of her "Year-End Ritual," which I think is a wonderful yearly ritual to adopt if you're searching for one. If not, you can start with the questions below, my favorites for those who may not have *quite* as much time to devote to this activity right now...

Grab a journal, a scrap of paper, or your iPad or laptop, and answer the following questions with whatever comes to mind first (and no self-judgment!):
_____

PAST
How have I spent my time in the past year?
What has inspired me over the past year?
What blessings have I received during the year?
What were my sorrows/disappointments from the year, and how have I been changed by them? 
What were my accomplishments/creations/joys from the year, and how have I been changed by them? 

PRESENT
How am I different this year than I was last year at this time?
Are there any things I’m trying to force into existence right now? If so, what would happen if I stopped trying to make them happen?
What am I becoming? Who am I really?
Has my experience of time changed at all since last year?

FUTURE
Specifically what is it that I wish to focus on or experience in the coming year?
If I could see far into the future, what wishes, longings, or creations will I be bringing into being, or engaging in some way?
If I could sum up all my desires and longings into one simple statement, spoken from the highest aspect of myself, what would it be?
_____

See? Fairly straightforward and to the point, right? I'll be answering these questions on my own sometime over the next day or two, and will share some of what comes up for me tomorrow...

Happy New Year's Eve! I hope you have a fabulous evening planned--whether it consists of a glass of champagne (or tea!) on the couch, a night with your journal, a small gathering with friends, or a huge gathering with heaps of strangers and lots of dancing :) 

"See" you in 2013!

Namaste,
Mary Catherine