Emerging into the New Year

Tree fungus on the Ravenwood Listening Trail at the Arc of Appalachia's Highlands Nature Sanctuary

In my recent Inspired Writer newsletter, I shared that I love to take time to reflect and set intentions for the New Year through a set of questions I received from my first coach, Barbara McRae.

Each year I make a handmade booklet filled with these questions and use its pages to dream big, acknowledge my yearnings and capture what is most important for me to accomplish in the coming year. This practice allows me to connect in with my heartfelt callings and soulful messages.

I tend to create a big, bold list, which I then cull through and pick a few key areas where I'm committed to putting my intentions into action with specific goals. 

This year, I'm playing with a new approach — identifying the three things I'm committed to doing five days a week.

(I'm taking weekends off for now! My personality needs some freedom and flexibility in order to be happy.) For me, these are the three things that I see as foundational for me and the areas where I am currently most committed to having a breakthrough. My three things are: meditation, yoga and morning pages.

For me, three things feels like a good starting point. Sure, there are other things I intend to accomplish, but for now these are the three activities that will go on my to-do list each day. (I'm excited to see what I will learn from this new approach. I'll keep you posted!)

As I've been mulling over what structures/approaches might work for me in the New Year, I've been reading the musings of others, and I thought I would share some of my favorite recent reads (click on line by bullet point to link):

• Ali Edward's One Word approach. 

Last year I chose DANCE as my word. This year, I'm playing with the word SPACE. As in Space for creativity, reflection and rest. Space to allow others to be themselves. Space for me to be myself. Space for listening. Space for noticing. Space for being. (Check out the master list of words submitted by her readers here.) 

• Michael Bungay Stanier's approach of not adding anything.

"Try removing instead," he writes. For me, I'd love to remove my negative self-talk. (I'm hoping the meditation will help on that front.)

• My writing friend Nita Sweeney's "one thing" approach.

• Four Hour Work Week author and life hacker Tim Ferriss' blog post on "One Thing," excerpted from Leo Babauta of Zen Habit's new book, The Power of Less.

Also, Leo is offering free Power of Less tips through his Twitter account each day. You can follow him on Twitter here. (His book is on the top of next book buys list.)

• Daily OM Co-Founder Scott Blum's powerful story of the two lists. 

• Good Vibe Coach Jeanette Maw on the Folly of Working Toward Goals. 

I "found" Jeanette through Twitter and am really enjoying her free e-zine and her Pray Rain Journal ebook. I'd highly recommend signing up for her e-zine and checking out her offerings.

 • Create your own personal commandments a la Gretchen Rubin of the Happiness Project.

I think my favorite commandment from her list is No. 1: "Be Gretchen." In 2009, I intend to live into all the wonderful possibilities that "Be Shannon" offers.

• Debbie Ford's New Year's Ritual, which is tied into what Divine vibration or feeling you wish to embody in the New Year and then offers a way to vividly visualize becoming this feeling.

What I came up with is forgiveness. I'm ready for a breakthrough in my relationship to forgiveness, and I am considering adding on Debbie Ford's three minute meditation to my daily practices.

Tell me, what ideas or approaches are inspiring you as you enter into 2009?