I love the new year! Yup, you guessed it – I am totally into setting intentions,
making plans for the coming months, and thinking about what I want to

celebrate when the end of the year roles around.

My favorite place to do this? A brand new, never before used, full of clean pages, journal. How about you?

Buut….I’m also a big advocate for taking time to set my intentions, make my plans, and imagine my future celebrations. This is why my first post about the new year is nine days into January!

I love using January to close open loops. Clean up anything left undone in the previous year that I might not have gotten to.

This isn’t about completing tasks that I feel as though I “should” do. Its about honoring the commitments or projects I started and finishing them up before I get sucked into the exciting new year energy vortex.

I love that vortex – don’t you? It’s hard to stay out of it!

Putting pen to paper before we dive into taking action for the new year is a simple way to make sure that we take focused steps. That we are clear and on track to reach our goals. It helps us to connect to what’s most important to us.

So, as you embark on your journey for 2015, here’s a list of questions to ponder.

What did you accomplish last year that you’re really stinking proud of?

What relationships did you build? Who are the people that came into your life in 2014 that you want to continue to spend time with and get to know?

What did you learn that will continue to impact you as you move into a new year?

Did anything happen last year that you wish you could change? (We are who we are because of our experiences, mistakes are just learning opportunities, and all that jazz. And yet…there are still some things that happen that we just feel as though we didn’t need to experience – right?) If anything comes up for you here, release it onto the page and what happens as you try to let it go (“let it go-oh…can’t hold it back anymore..” – oh yes, I just went there).

Do you have any lingering projects, tasks, or commitments that you want to wrap up? Do these need to be finished before you move onto new goals? Or would it better serve you to look at where you are and make a new plan for the new year?

What intentions/goals do you want to set for 2015? For your career? Your relationships? Your health? Travel? What feels right for you to focus on?

Looking over your list of intentions choose one that you want to celebrate on December 31, 2015. Make a plan for that intention. What steps will you accomplish each month? Break them down and track your progress and you’ll be on your way to a champagne toast that you’ll feel as though you’ve earned at the end of the next twelve months.

Here’s to a healthy and prosperous 2015 – Happy New Year!

Like this article? Please feel free to use it on your own blog or newsletter. I simply ask that you please include this blurb:
Sara Marchessault is a coach, writer, teacher, and mom who helps busy women use journaling to create more space in their life for being productive without feeling overwhelmed. To learn more about Sara and her work in the world, please visit joyfulbydesign.com or saramarchessault.com.