The Meaning of December

The Meaning of December

It’s finally December and NaNoWriMo is over. For those who missed it, I managed to make it to the 50,000 words and I am still working on it.

I’ve come to realize December means many things:

It’s the last month of the old year.
The holidays have arrived.
We celebrate the returning of the light.
And, for many of us, it is a chance to say goodbye to the old year and say hello to the new year, including setting intentions for how that year will go.

By now, most of us know what to expect from the holidays. Preparations may not be complete but a plan is in place. It’s a matter of checking off the list and hopefully, you will find some time to enjoy the season.

December also means a return to the light. A time when each day brings a few more seconds of light.

December is also a time when we look back on the old year, taking note of what worked and what didn’t. Most of all it is a time to set your intention for the year.

Take a look back:

The focus of this post is to take a look at the previous year, evaluating your growth, successes and even your failures.

1. Did you set goals for 2017? If you did, how did that go? Did you reach your goal? Did you give up? Complete failure?
First of all, regardless of the outcome, I want you to forgive yourself. Forgive any flaws or failures you may have had. Forgive the perceived weakness and that life got in the way.
Secondly, look at the goals you set. For the ones you accomplished, where do you go from here. Is there a next step? Was that one finished? What about the ones that didn’t work quite so well, what kept you from reaching the goal? Was it too broad, not specific enough? Or, did life simply get in the way?

2. If you didn’t set goals, did you have any expectations for the year? Expectations are much more difficult to pin down but we all have them. Did you expect to change your life? Or, expect that things would stay the same? The new year always brings the expectation of hope.

3. What about an intention? I often set a word for the year. I’ve even written about it a few times. Word of the year is a wonderful way to welcome something positive into your life. One year my word was enough. I thought I meant that I am enough but no, the universe took that invitation to see exactly how much enough meant. It was an interesting year.

My favorite way to look back over the past year is to see where you succeeded, regardless of whether or not you set a goal, and where you want to improve.

The Invitation:

The ending of the old year and beginning of the new year is an invitation. An invitation to dream big once again.

Where do you want your life to go?
What do you hope to accomplish?
Who do you want to be at the end of the new year?
How do you want to get there?
Why do you want to go there? Asking about your why is another post.

In the midst of the craziness of this season, I hope you can take a few moments to think over the past year. And, to look forward to the new year. It is a time for hope and intentions. You can make the decision to make this your best year yet. The possibilities are endless.

Until next time,
Angela