Questions for the New Year

It's become a new year tradition to do this list. Either on New Year's Eve or sometime in January. I review the previous year and make a list for the year to come. I've added two new questions this year. If you have new questions please send them my way! Happy New Year!

1. This year name one person that you will make the attempt to have a stronger relationship with?
2. This year what is one risk that you promise to take?
3. This year what is one aspect of your personality that you will be willing to change to make yourself a better person? (How does this question make you feel?)
4. This year, what is one daily ritual that you can commit to?
5. This year, what song could you choose to represent the year you are going to have and will you
download that song after reading these words?
6. This year, who is one civil servant that you will say hello to for the entire year?
7. This year, what is one body of water that you promise yourself you will swim in?
8. This year, name one person that you will truly thank who rarely gets thanked.
9. This year, what is an artistic experience that you promise to have?
10. This year, what is one argument that you will no longer have?
11. This year, what is one thing that you will do to give back to the world or community that you live in?
12. This year, what is one thing that you will learn?
13. This year, what is one thing you will let go of knowing you don't have the power to change it?
14. This year, where will your quiet place be?
15. This year, name three people you will surprise with a random gift?
16. This year, what is one thing that you will teach someone else?
17. This year, what is one fear that you will overcome?
18. This year, what is one food that you will eat more often?
19. This year, what is something wonderful about your personality that you promise to consciously appreciate?
20. This year, what will you do that you have always known you had to do?
21. This year, what is one book you will finally read?
22. This year, what is a completely new experience you will give a try? 

It's 2013

Happy New Year! May your 2013 be awesome! Fun fact: The year hasn't been 4 unique digits since 1987, 25 years ago. Feeling special because that's the year I was born.
I'm a little sad to see this year ending because it's been my best one yet. Being a fan of numbers, and 13 being important for me, I'd like to go ahead and set the intention that this year is going to blow me away in being greater than I can imagine.

If you haven't started a gratitude journal yet, I can't recommend it enough. Doesn't have to be fancy, just write five things each day, even if it's on piece of scrap paper or a napkin, even if it just says the basics, like 'water, food, shelter, etc.'.

We're almost at 2013

So it's almost that time of "resolutions". The new year brings a sense of obligation to change things up and re-evaluate goals. There's always a bit of bullshit associated to making new years resolutions when you just seem to pull them out of thin air and think "I should be/do that thing this year" I hate the word should and think it's best eliminated from the vocabulary as soon as possible. So instead of what maybe you should do, here are my fave new years questions and goal help.

One of my fave blogs with a motto "a life less bullshit" has a template that I used last year, one important accomplishment for me was: 'Living in nature for six months'. Check out this post from NicoleIsBetter, and read her alternative method of setting reachable goals in buckets, along with a pretty worksheet that you can download for free.

Then something that I was turned onto a few years ago is fun to fill out with a friend and really nice to look back on throughout the year. This year my 'song of the year' was Vagabond by Wolfmother the verse I wanted to live like: "I'll tell you everything about living free". The year before that, it was Destination Calabria "I left my job, my boss, my car and my home, I'm leaving for a destination I still don't know" The jury is still out for my song for this year...

Questions for the New Year   

1. This year name one person that you will make the attempt to have a stronger relationship with?
2. This year what is one risk that you promise to take?
3. This year what is one aspect of your personality that you will be willing to change to make yourself more likeable?
4. This year, what is one daily ritual that you can commit to?
5. This year, what song could you choose to represent the year you are going to have and will you
download that song after reading these words?
6. This year, who is one civil servant that you will say hello to for the entire year?
7. This year, what is one body of water that you promise yourself you will swim in?
8. This year, name one person that you will truly thank who rarely gets thanked.
9. This year, what is an artistic experience that you promise to have?
10. This year, what is one argument that you will no longer have?
11. This year, what is one thing that you will do to give back to the world or community that you live in?
12. This year, what is one thing that you will learn?
13. This year, what is one thing you will let go of knowing you don't have the power to change it?
14. This year, where will your quiet place be?
15. This year, name three people you will surprise with a random gift?
16. This year, what is one thing that you will teach someone else?
17. This year, what is one fear that you will overcome?
18. This year, what is one food that you will eat more often?
19. This year, what is something wonderful about your personality that you promise to consciously appreciate?
20. This year, what will you do that you have always known you had to do?  

Nochevieja!

Today is the last day of 2011, new years eve day or Nochevieja.
On this day I really enjoy incorporating everything I'm looking forward to focusing on in the new coming year. I find it's a great day to narrow my attention to what can realistically be done in a day and ask in a million ways, 'what do I want this year to look like?' As an example, this past year I wanted to celebrate a lot so I blew out a candle on a cup cake. My year was reflected by many celebrations that I really acknowledged and consciously celebrated.  It's not about superstition so much as giving myself a full day to really think about what I'm going to make the year about.

Although... last year I made sure that the friends around me ate The 12 grapes, which is a Spanish tradition and now here I am in Madrid where that tradition started! So maybe I'm a little superstitious.

New years superstitions I've come across over the years...
- Take a suitcase outside (I actually helped someone cary in luggage by accident in 2011)
- Wear yellow underwear for I think travel or maybe just luck in general
- Wear red underwear for luck in love ;)
- Don't sweep, because you'll sweep out the good luck
- What you do on new years determines the rest of the year
- Dancing really crazy is just good for everyone involved and will help you laugh at yourself the whole year through

My absolute favourite tradition is this questionnaire that I've been copying out in my journal for the past 5 years

Questions for the New Year   

1. This year name one person that you will make the attempt to have a stronger relationship with?
2. This year what is one risk that you promise to take?
3. This year what is one aspect of your personality that you will be willing to change to make yourself more likeable?
4. This year, what is one daily ritual that you can commit to?
5. This year, what song could you choose to represent the year you are going to have and will you
download that song after reading these words?
6. This year, who is one civil servant that you will say hello to for the entire year?
7. This year, what is one body of water that you promise yourself you will swim in?
8. This year, name one person that you will truly thank who rarely gets thanked.
9. This year, what is an artistic experience that you promise to have?
10. This year, what is one argument that you will no longer have?
11. This year, what is one thing that you will do to give back to the world or community that you live in?
12. This year, what is one thing that you will learn?
13. This year, what is one thing you will let go of knowing you don't have the power to change it?
14. This year, where will your quiet place be?
15. This year, name three people you will surprise with a random gift?
16. This year, what is one thing that you will teach someone else?
17. This year, what is one fear that you will overcome?
18. This year, what is one food that you will eat more often?
19. This year, what is something wonderful about your personality that you promise to consciously appreciate?
20. This year, what will you do that you have always known you had to do?   

I've also started putting quotes on photos I've been taking and there's a special one for new years...here