Christmas is already behind us and 2020 reaches to its end. I read a lot of posts where people can’t wait to get rid of 2020. Others regret not to be able to celebrate the end of this peculiar year partying and dancing.
I don’t share these points of views. Since two years ago, our New Year Eve is quiet at home and the current context doesn’t change anything.What I prefer in our New Year Eve celebration is, my husband manifest our year to come.
This is a time to share and communicate I love very much.
Write a letter to yourself
This is the first step. I write myself a letter.
It might seem strange but this is an exciting way to focus on the past year. Month through month, I tell myself all what happened to me in 2020. And I let nothing away. I tell myself about all what was challenging, the dark things, the emotions I felt, the joys and prides. It is very important to write this letter with a lot of kindness and love, acknowledging the beauties and difficulties. I use this process to release all the negativity on the paper, to let go all my emotions. It is my way to cleanse myself from all the past year and prepare myself to be open for what the new years will offer.
Some people burn this letter to symbolically disappear all the past year. Personally, I have a notebook where I keep all my thoughts and where I journal my spiritual journey.
Prepare your manifest
I prepare it in two steps.
First, I check my highest values, mission and purpose are still the good ones. Then I check and correct my Balance chart. It’s where I write down by categories all the elements I need to live a balanced life.
Then, it is the moment I share my thoughts with my husband. It is my favorite moment because it is the opportunity to communicate on everything that is important to us as individuals, a couple or a family.
We talk about everything we want; the projects we care for or the challenges we encounter. We can share about budget difficulties, careers or travel desires. It is also the best opportunity to share about spirituality, love, values, family… all those topics which are usually hidden by daily issues.
Usually, we dedicate two evenings and we use a precious tool.
Year Compass Booklet
It is a booklet you can download for free in 46 languages on the Year Compass website. You can print it or use a digital version. Since 2012, an hungarian team has created and updated those booklets each year.
Year Compass booklet has two parts:
- reflect on the past year
- plan for the year to come
These aren’t New Year’s good resolutions. These are exercises and selected questions to help you uncover your patterns and design your ideal years. Some do it very consciously, all by themselves. With my husband, we fill it together, as a dialogue where we share our answers.
This is an exercise where you need a few quiet hours. That’s why we dedicate two evenings to do it. Since last year, we write the new year part on New Year Eve, when the kids are asleep. This is a very intimate and cosy moment, well set on the sofa with a hot beverage.
Some people do it with very close friends and I think it can be an excellent idea too.
And after ?
After, we share our manifest with our kids and build altogether a family project at the first family council of the year. I’ll talk more about it in my next post.
Then, this manifest must live.
Month after month or at each trimester, we have to read it again to remind us what we decided and promised to ourselves. This is the best way to be sure the manifest won’t be washed away by our daily life and become another kind of New Year useless good resolution.
