As we are a month into the New Year and the chaos of the holidays have settled, this is a great time to reflect on the previous year, take a look inside, and envision the future as you would like it to be. This year is even more special!  It is the mark of a decade past and a decade to come.

Look Back
Looking back is a process of reviewing the past year, and if you choose, the past decade. Take a moment to review all of the things that you intended to do over that period of time. Which of those did you do?  Which did you not? Now add to the list all the things that you did that you didn’t even intend on doing. Take note of where your energy and focus was and how that created where you are today.

Look In
Once you have taken a quick look back it is now time to take a look inside. Are you where you want to be?  Are you where you are due to clear intentions or happenstance? What supported you in achieving some of those things you are proud of? What got in the way of those things you did not accomplish? Life is not completely in our control, in fact, perhaps not at all in most cases, though we do have a great deal of influence over our lives in general. Take a look at your internal dialogue, beliefs and internal state of being. Look around yourself and see what kind of support you have for achieving your dreams. Now is your chance to make necessary changes from the inside out to manifest your life the way you want it.

Look Out
“So what now what!” is one of my favorite sayings. Where ever you are today is the first day of the rest of your life. The next step you take is the first step into your future. What will that future hold for you? I have been thinking a lot about the question, “What do I want to do before I die?” Kind of a heavy question, but a good one to see if my actions of today are in alignment with what I ultimately want. If you would rather, start with a day, week, a year or a decade. Now is the time to set your course. Imagine looking back on this year and doing this very exercise. What do you want on your list of accomplishments?