December Self-Care Exercise: Honor Your Past
Photo: Benaz Shaikhani
âTis the season! Feeling peace and joy? I hope so â though itâs easy to feel a âholidaze.â
Before you get wrapped up in all the festivities, gift yourself 30-60 minutes of self-reflectionâŚ
Step One: REFLECT ON 2023 đ§ââď¸
Step One - Part One:
Make a Simple Calendar đ
Confession: I love working on paper!
For a quick, cheap, and easy calendar, fold a blank sheet of paper in half two timesâfrom top to bottom. Then, make three columns.
Voila! You have 12 little boxes for the 12 months of 2023.
Step One - Part Two:
Take Inventory of 2023
Look back over the last twelve months in your calendar.
I like to use my Google Calendar and camera roll to make sure I donât miss anything to recognize and celebrate from the past 12 months.
Notate Your Highs: Make a bulleted list of 2023 achievements: things you want to recognize and celebrate. This might include major life events, trips, jobs, degrees, awards, nominations, new relationships, etc.
Notate Your Lows: Make a bulleted list of 2023 losses: things you need to acknowledge, process, and grieve so that you can move on. This might include major life events, relationship changes, identity changes, etc.
Once youâve done an inventory, you might want to cross-check your Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Youâll get to relive some of your best moments, as well as see what resonated most with your audience!
Step Two: HONOR YOUR PAST đ
Look back at those best and worst moments of the year. Itâs not all good, and itâs not all bad!
Low Moments: Itâs guaranteed you had some low moments. Honor them! Next to the event, articulate what life or business lesson you learned. Things rarely go exactly the way you plan. Try and find the message from the mess. It will help you release any negative energy before we head into the new year.
High Moments: Itâs guaranteed you had some high moments. Honor them! Acknowledge where you've grown and celebrate all that you've accomplished. Recognize how far youâve come! Next to the high points, articulate what life or business lesson you learned.
As an artist and creative entrepreneur, you will not always be awarded or recognized for your hard work. Provide yourself with recognition for all youâve accomplished this year!
No matter where you are in your journey, or how different or far away your dreams seem, itâs critical to take the time to look back.
Just do it. đ¤
Step Three: Consider Sharing
In doing the exercise, I hope youâre able to see what 2023 has given you.
In addition to the fuel you just gave yourself for 2024, you have the opportunity to inspire others. While this may feel uncomfortable for you, your contacts actually "like" you and "follow" you in order to stay up-to-date. Consider celebrating one (or a few) of the moments or lessons 2023 gave you.
While you may be a shy introvert, this is an excellent time of year when industry VIPs are actually more apt to open your email or engage with your social media.
The more human you can be (that means simple, real, meaningful, and vulnerable: not perfect, polished, slick, and savvy), the bigger the impact it will have on that relationship. Email and social media allow you to scale that connection. đ
âAs we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As weâre liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.â
