For the past 16 years, I’ve had a New Year’s ritual that gives me great satisfaction. Instead of thinking about making New Year resolutions, I review the events of the past year, assessing what I’ve liked and accomplished along with where the flow of my life wants to go next. It’s a process that helps me promote and track my own growth. In fact, since starting this, I’ve noticed my life has dramatically changed to one of full abundance.
The first time I did it, recording in a small spiral notebook starting on the last page, I had a huge surge of excitement. I realized I could literally project and plan the life of my hopes and dreams. Each page represents a year, one side for what’s happened in the last year and the other side for my hopes for the year to come.
Each year I reflect on how my dreams have transpired and what wants to happen next. I’m still using the same little notebook and can easily track the life altering shifts I’ve taken. This process clearly works.
Life really is a constant unfolding sequence of desires. It requires stepping outside the usual framework of making goals and resolutions to do something that is more like tracking the motions of waves.
Are you interested in how it works? Let me break down this sequence in more detail.
GET PAST THE “TO DO” LIST AND DREAM
When I first started this, I made the usual notations about working out, reducing debt, and renovating the house. It was the old pattern of resolutions and discipline or the dread and procrastination list. They would be recorded and most often carried over to the next year. If you want to feel bad about yourself, keep doing this.
There is a better way. I started making note of things that would give me a lift – the desire to learn something new, go someplace unknown or try something different. The excitement generated from these ideas was palpable. They would be the things that would happen. I quickly recognized that this was the point.
Imagine what would give your heart and soul a lift – make that your goal.
NOTICE THE FLOW AND SEQUENCE OF YOUR DREAMS
When your dreams are the source of your inspiration for your year to come, you will notice that they have a natural pattern. Like everything in nature, they have a lifecycle with a beginning, middle and end. By allowing its natural cycle to inform you of what you need to do, you will be flowing with your dreams rather than pushing for things to happen.
This concept of “flowing with, rather than pushing against” is central to the transformation process. * It’s not often that we can see far enough into the future to know how things will transpire. They are too many moving parts, things are too complex and our technology is too fast paced.
It doesn’t matter. When you flow, the next step easily defines itself. You’re out of the old punch list, time table process and allowing things to evolve organically.
Respect your dreams’ natural lifecycle and flow with them.
FOLLOW THE WAVE TO WHAT WANTS TO HAPPEN NEXT
You know how a wave builds up to a big crest and then crashes down? In the trough, which is the end of the last cycle and the beginning surge of energy for the building of the next wave, you have the genesis for what wants to happen next.
There is a natural evolution for each of us. How can you build on what you’ve done and take it to the next level? What is your next evolution?
For example: Last year we wanted to build our “tribe” of friends into a loving community. That has happened in such a big way we are overjoyed by it. So, this year we want to expand it. Two years ago, I wanted to start a blog and did. But last year I wanted to write a book and only got the outline and a few chapters done. I was pushing, not flowing. So, this year, I’ll see how the blogs fit into the outline, which is a more organic flow. That’s how this concept works.
Notice the natural flow of your dreams and move into their next logical uplifting sequence.
FOCUS ON YOUR CHOICE AND OPPORTUNITIES
In the old pattern of making resolutions, you often are making a goal in isolation to everything else. Discipline is then needed to make it happen. It’s a dreary, soulless process that most often leaves us feeling deflated and disappointed.
By following your dreams or your inspiration, you are focusing on your choices. Noticing and making choices that inspire and uplift you, in any aspect of your life, is an extremely empowering process. When you follow the wave of your desires, the next logical choice makes it itself known from what has just occurred. These inspired choices are the catalyst for your personal evolution.
Once you’ve made a choice that is congruent with your dreams, you then look for the opportunities that allow them to happen. Don’t be surprised when they seemingly magically appear. When your choices are harmonious with you, the opportunity that will bring it into reality is often right around the corner. *
Choice and opportunity go hand in glove when you are on a naturally evolving path that corresponds with who you are.
There is something very poignant about this “year in review and year of your dreams” recording process. I get excited to do it every New Year’s Day as I am noticing how each year gets a little richer and fuller. I am certain this intention filled process is how I’ve laid the groundwork to manifest the abundance in my life.
If you want to know more about how to create and manifest your dreams, enroll in “The Manifestation Course” I’m conducting. I will take you on a deep dive into this process. This 6-week class starts Feb 2- March 9th at Centered in Lexington, KY. Go to www.Centeredlex.org, 859-721-1841 to register or my website www.spectrumtransformation.com for more information. I’m also available for long distance learning. Just use my Free Consultation button to reach me. I’d love to hear from you!
* The concepts of “flow with vs push against” and “choice and opportunity” come from my mentor, Alan Seale. See his book, “Create a World That Works – tools for personal and global transformation” May 2011.
