Write Your December 2019 Holiday Letter

Planet Iceland, August 2018

One of my coachees recently said to a friend in a joking way, “Are you going to take 2019 by storm?” and he replied, “No, more like a gentle breeze”. She then said to me, “I think this is going to be my mantra this year: Getting things done using a gentle breeze.”

Whether you decide to take the year by storm or take the gentle breeze approach, here’s a cool writing exercise that will set the stage for creating authentic goals for the coming year. It will help reveal what’s really important to you and why. Creating the year you want to be living into and then working backward is an exciting way to live life.

I once heard it said that having goals is just another way to fall more in love with life. For me, it’s a reminder not to take the term ‘goals’ so seriously. Make (and sometimes break) them in the spirit of giving some thought, structure, and follow-through to meaningful ideas, hopes, plans, wishes, and dreams.

With that in mind, here goes…

Imagine it’s the holidays of next year and you’re celebrating another year gone by. Take a moment to reflect on everything you lived through and experienced over the past year. Notice where you are and what’s alive inside of you. Really allow yourself to get present with yourself and connect to your inner world.

Looking back over the various areas of your life – best case scenario, what did you experience over the last year? What did you accomplish? What did you contribute?

What were some of the highlights? Thrills? Milestones? What made it a successful and fulfilling year? What values guided you? What were you committed to in a big way?

Who or what motivated, inspired, and supported you? How did you stay focused on your “important, but not urgent” commitments?

What helped you stay grounded during challenging times?

How was your aliveness and energy throughout the year?

How was your sense of belonging?

What experiences filled your heart and made you smile?

What did you embrace and what did you let go of?

What was the theme of 2019? It may be a word or a phrase. Mine a few years ago was Badass Wholehearted Renegade. 

Now, here comes your December 2019 Holiday Letter:

Using these prompts, have your future self write a letter to your current self, describing your most positive year.

Most importantly, have fun with it!

“Imagination is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” ~Albert Einstein