So Christmas is over. And now the Christmas hangover begins. Leftovers, leftover relatives, returning gifts, wincing at the bank statement, putting away all the decorations, deciding if you’re taking down the Christmas lights or not, you know the drill. And getting ready to watch the year change from 2011 to 2012. And while all that is happening, now is the time that everyone starts thinking about what did and did not happen in 2011. All the magazines, the tv shows, the news…it’s all about reruns and the year that was. And while that’s not exactly my favorite thing, it is good to take stock of what has happened, where I’ve been, what I’m grateful for and what I regret, and looking towards 2012 with an eye to what I want and how I can help the Universe to get me there.
One thing that is always good to remember is that if we don’t remember the past we are doomed to relive it. So while it may not be the most pleasant thing in the world, be honest with yourself and look at everything that happened in 2011. No judgement or self-flagellation, please. Just an honest look. What events occurred? How did you react to them? What choices did you make? What went extremely well, what went ok, and went wrong, and how can you do it better next time. Unless you’re an infant, you had some control and some choice in the matter of how things went down and hopefully your year went great and 2012 is another chance to make things get better.
If things happened in 2011 that weren’t what you had hoped they would be, now is the time to look into how you can do things better. Maybe now is the chance to take the road less traveled, to start saving money, to choose an alternate career, to take a chance on a dream, or to stop dreaming and settle into what will truly make something happen. Whatever it is, be honest, be fair, be gentle with yourself, celebrate the good, not the ‘could have beens’ and get ready for 2012. ‘Cause here it comes…