There is much fanfare over the first day of the New Year and many people make resolutions about things that they will start or stop doing when January 1st rolls around. I do not limit myself to starting over on the first day of January, as sometimes the early days or months of a new year seem more like what I wanted to leave behind than what I planned to carry forward.

Letting Go of The Old – Welcoming The New

Whenever a new beginning occurs for you, tomorrow or weeks or months from now, here’s a brief exercise that will help you let go of the old and enthusiastically welcome the new (repeatedly, if necessary). These six simple steps can be done in as little as 15 minutes or a bit more time if you have it. Grab something on which you can make notes and sit in a quiet place where you can focus on yourself without interruption.

Step 1: Close your eyes for a moment, and take three very deep breaths. Open your eyes.

Step 2: Write down the things that did not work out the way that you hoped they would in 2013 (or what ever period of time you are consciously leaving behind).

Step 3: Take a few minutes to jot down the nagging loose ends that you have not yet wrapped up — a conversation you’ve been avoiding, clutter in some part of your life, anything that is weighing you down. I urge you to make note of your loose ends without the pressure of thinking about how you will deal with them. The purpose of this step is simply to bring them into your awareness.

Step 4: Spend a few minutes jotting down the things that you loved about your life and your choices in 2013.

Step 5: Now, write a detailed description of the 2014 you wish to experience, using the present tense (“In 2014, I am….”, “In 2014 my life is…”)

Step 6: Reread your description and ask yourself if you are ready to accept the amazing year that you have just created. If you are, welcome it into your life. If you do not yet feel ready to accept it, spend a few moments exploring what may be holding you back. When you are ready, sign and date your creation, committing to yourself that you want to accept the many gifts that 2014 has in store for you.

Honor your creativity. I encourage you to try any variation of the technique that feels better to you than the steps described above. The goal is to recognize the past, let go if it, and consciously create the life that you want to live from this moment forward.

HAPPY, HEALTHY, WONDERFUL NEW YEAR!!! May 2014 be your best year yet.