It’s December nearly the end of the 2012.  The Mayans were wrong or rather people interpreting the Mayan Calendar were wrong.

I know many people get busy with Christmas and preparing for the holidays but for me not only is December a time for completing projects before Christmas and the New Year, but its also an opportunity to slow down, take stock and take time to renew my energy and creativity. It’s all about preparing myself for planning and creating the next year/  Of course there is time for fun too.

Currently I’m in a mad rush to finish my current projects and get everything out of the way to prepare for launching my new book . One of the principles that I follow is to clear a space before creating something new. This works on a physical/ spatial level but also on a temporal level, clearing the past so you can focus on the future.

Many people create New Year’s resolutions and plans in January but because they haven’t dealt effectively with their past habits they have difficulty sticking to those resolutions.

Taking some time to reflect on what worked and what didn’t’ work during the year, will help you more powerfully plan for a great 2013.

Here is a great exercise for clearing the past and creating the right head space for planning 2013.   Spend at least 20 minutes answering these questions in a notebook or journal

• What have been your achievements up until now?
• What have been the disappointments or regrets?
• What did you not do that you had intended to do?
• What are you proud of from the year?
• What goals will you carry over into 2011 and what will you drop or rethink?
• Who can you forgive?
• What can you forgive yourself for?
• What are you grateful for?
• What was the theme of 2011  for you?
• What were your biggest learnings from the 2011?

• Is there anything you can complete before end of 2010 that would make a difference to your life? If so complete it

That at least is something to be grateful for.
And there is just one thing to do CELEBRATE!

The longer version of this is to do this area by area.  Allow at least an hour for this but it is a very powerful exercise to take on.

Determine the areas you want to review.  These are the areas I used but you can choose the areas that are important to you:

Health and Fitness

Money

Friendships

Career/Business

Success

Spirituality

Relationships,

Family,

Travel,

Relationship to myself