What no one is telling you about 2020

Has 2020 been a good year for you? Hmmmm.

I think I know the answer to that one!

What no one is telling you about 2020 is that plenty of GOOD things happened this year. AND you had something to do with them! 

It’s worth reminding you that, no matter what happened (or didn’t happen) this year, you have the power to completely change your experience in 2021.

So I am proposing that you end the year with one really simple but profound end of year ritual.

This ritual has repeatedly changed my life. It doesn’t matter how much champagne you had on New Year’s Eve–it’s an easy one to do. Or if you don’t want to wait, you can begin it now and do it over the next few weeks! (To be clear, I’m talking about starting the year-end ritual early, not the champagne drinking!)

The exercise is simply this: Make a list of everything you’re proud of over the last year. Sounds easy, but it’s trickier than you think.

It is even more profound if you do it with your team, especially those who really “see” you and your accomplishments. It will draw more out of you.

Take turns asking each other what you’re proud of. Start with “I’m proud of…” and list out things like:

• Business accomplishments
• Tricky situations that you dealt with
• Boundaries you enforced
• Goals you hit
• Personal accomplishments
• Showing up and providing care for those who need it

List anything that you want to acknowledge yourself for. Don’t be shy or modest. We’ve had enough negativity already. It’s time to shine a light on all the really positive and awesome things you’ve done this year.

And seriously, it’s kind of hard to remember everything. So, here’s how to take it to the next level.

Take turns simply asking each other “What else?”

And then silence. No prompting. No jumping in for their turn. Just ask the question “What else?” and wait!

Keep asking until you have at LEAST 20 brags.

There will be lots of pauses when you think you’re done and then, “Oh yeah! I forgot about this one!” Then keep asking, “What else?”

Trust me, you’ll be buzzing at the end of it, so don’t give up.

The list of brags is important, but the question “What else?” is extremely important. 

You’ll probably get stuck at about five things you’re proud of because you don’t want to brag, you discount your accomplishments, or you’ve just forgotten.

Did 2020 suck? Yup! But you sure did a ton that’s worth celebrating this year.

I did this with a friend who thought she had a bad year until we did this exercise. It took us 15 minutes and she ended up with 22 things she was proud of, but it took some digging.

That’s why the question is so important. Keep asking and don’t give up!

Bragging is GOOD for you. It’s awesome to remember everything, it’s great to acknowledge all your wins, big and small, so you can attract even more luck and abundance in the new year.

Work on a mix of business and personal, as long as you get at least 20 good things.

If you do it by yourself, eventually you’ll run out of steam and move on to something else. For the best results, you need at least one partner to gently ask, “What else?”

As soon as you run out of brags… what else? 

When you think you haven’t done anything good… what else?

As soon as you think there’s nothing else to celebrate… what else?

If you tell yourself it was a bad year… what else? 

When you think you’ve written everything… what else?

By the way, you don’t just have to do this as an end of year ritual… you could do it monthly or quarterly.

Next week, I’ll share some of the things I’m most proud of this year in my own personal “Year In Review”. 

Tag me on LinkedIn with something on you or your team’s list–would love to hear them, big and small (please don’t be shy–brag your butt off). When you are done writing them and tagging me, put the list in a drawer. The next time you’re having a bad day, have a read over all the incredible things you’ve accomplished!

Imagine me saying to you “what else?” every time you get stuck. It’s your time, and you’re ready for the next step. 2021 is YOUR year!

Hugs,

Denise 

P.S. 

I’ve got a super special offer coming in January, so join the notification list, and I’ll send you the details as soon as I can. I’m excited to work with more courageous leaders in 2021. I know it’s going to be a healing year filled with simplicity, growth, and peace!