As we welcome a new year and a new decade, I’ve been reflecting on what has transpired over the last 10 years, take stock of the past 12 months, and think of the months and years ahead. 

It’s fair to say that the past ten years have been a wild ride. I’ve experienced incredible growth and shifts in my personal, financial and professional life, experiences which have run the gamut from absolutely wonderful to devastatingly sad. I’m grateful for having had such a range of experiences that taught me so much even though there were times I had a hard time seeing through the challenges. There were many nights I walked around my apartment with a lot stick of palo santo repeating something to myself, like, “This is happening for me, not to me” or “This will all make sense later,” or “The only way is through.” 

At the start of every year I like to take stock of what I’ve learned and think about the months ahead. I get a lot out of myself reflecting on what I want to accomplish in the upcoming year, as well as the things I want to do the same or differently as I move forward. I’m also trying to be intentional about setting goals for my future as I reflect on what I want to manifest in my life.

I’ve learned that tuning into what feels right and following my intuition helps me get on and stay on the right path. As a result, going into 2020, I’ve been thinking of what I want my word of the year to be and what I want to focus on. I’ve done this exercise in the past and my words of the year have provided great daily reminders of what I was setting out to do. When thinking about what I want my word or phrase for 2020 to be, two things come to mind: first, I want to learn “believe” in myself, my abilities and all that I can accomplish. Knowing that you can show up and do the work and make a positive impact is one thing, but truly believing that you can make it sustainable and that you deserve to feel a sense of ease around something  is another. 

I spend so much of my professional life helping my clients learn to believe in themselves so that they can achieve their success, and I need to do the same for myself. Like many people, I struggle with wicked impostor syndrome, and healing that has been 

As we enter 2020, I also have a phrase in mind that carries weight in my life. This phrase has been in my head for over a year, since a friend offered to put a prayer in the Wailing Wall for me after my dad died and I was in a really dark place and felt stuck. I had no idea what to write on the little slip of paper so I just let the pen do the talking for me: 

“Show Me.” 

It’s continued to echo in my mind, asking the universe for guidance. “Show me what to do next, show me the way, show me how, show me what I need to know…”

The exercise of asking for direction and advice often makes me think about some of my final conversations with my dad, who always believed in me, even when I didn’t. He could always see ten steps down the line while I was caught up in playing small and just getting the to-do list crossed off and on not rocking the boat. 

So in 2020, I’m giving myself permission to dream big and share those dreams, to believe that I can achieve what I put my energy towards. Rather than revert to my “I must do this all on my own” tendency or that feeling of needing to have everything figured out, I’m allowing myself to be more open to trusting that inner guide and being open to what feel like  true signs song the way. 

Prefer to listen instead of read? Here’s a podcast version of this post!

I’d love to hear from you! Do you set goals and intentions for the year to come? Do you also choose a word or phrase of the year? Let me know by sharing with me on Instagram, Facebook and of course, my website. If you’d like to read more from me, you can also check out my upcoming book (January 2020), The Little Book of Game Changers: 50 Healthy Habits for Managing Stress & Anxiety, which you can preorder here.