Inspired by a 10-year old

On one of those days where I sit and think about how irresponsible we as a species are, destroying one of the most remarkable places in the Universe, I can watch this and have a glimmer of hope again. Kudos to the parents of this kiddo: http://grist.org/list/adorable-10-year-old-entrepreneur-runs-a-business-collecting-recyclables-on-his-bike/?utm_campaign=living&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter

Faith

“Faith is taking the first step even when you can't see the whole staircase.” 

Martin Luther King Jr.

Reflective questions for 2013

The tradition of setting New Year's resolutions has always been entertaining to me. We decide to examine things and resolve to make changes once a year and then often forget about them or lose our determination just several months in. And it makes sense that we often fail. When examining an entire year, it can be easy to set too many goals or set goals for the year that really need to be broken down into smaller sections of time or into smaller steps. We often set lofty goals, but don't really sit down and work out the details that are necessary for accomplishing them.

While the New Year's resolution tradition seems a bit cliche in some ways, I still think it's a great and valuable practice. I think it is much more helpful to make it a practice for the entire year. Whether we check in with ourselves once a day or once every few months, it takes work and attention to be successful. I also feel that taking the practice a little deeper is very helpful. Instead of simply compiling a list of goals, we can go further by asking ourselves reflective questions to help us look more in-depth at what we really want, why we want it and what is going on inside of us. We often don't take much time in our busy lives to just reflect on and check in with our internal landscape, and yet that is the environment that gives way to our dreams, goals and happiness.

Here is a list of what I believe to be good reflective questions for the New Year (compiled from several sources on the web):

-Pick three words to describe 2012
-What are my goals for the coming year?
-What are my dreams for the coming year?
-How do you want to feel in 2013? List three emotions that you want to feel on a regular basis.
-What would need to shift for you to feel this way? What habits or activities would support these feelings?
-What do you want to do in 2013?
-What impact do you want to have on the world?
-What are you curious to learn about in 2013?
-What did you learn in 2012 that you have not yet embedded into your way of working or being?
-What do you feel inspired to get involved with?
-What do you need to stop doing?
-What is your inner voice saying?
-What is your inner Risk Manager (the part that wants to keep you safe) saying? What evidence is there that
supports or does not support your Risk Manager’s view?
-What are your top, non negotiable priorities?
-What is one thing that would bring joy into your life?
-What do you need to commit to in order to be who you want to be in 2013?