Well it has been a helluva year hasn’t it?! Are you on the “Good riddance 2016” train?! What a ride. Social media tells me that the want to obliterate 2016 is a common one! I have to say, while I have so so soooo much to be grateful for this year due to the safe arrival of my daughter Naila (making 2016 one of the greatest in my life) – I am also tuned into some reasons why many are happy to see the back of it.

For me it’s not especially because of the impressive line up of celebrity and legend deaths this year (so sad… thanks all for the music, entertainment and joy) but instead the crazy emotional vortex I got stuck in this year was a political one.

Between the Brexit vote in the UK (Ugh… proud member of the 48% here) and the DT one in the US (still can’t quite bring myself to type the name – much less refer to President or President Elect) – it’s been an emotional one. In all transparency, in addition to my moments of sheer delight (and exhaustion!) being a new mummy, I have spent some of this year in deep mourning, questioning all I thought I knew socially and culturally and wondering how the hell we seem to have moved back 60+ years and so much of the world seems to be ok with it.

However, before sweeping 2016 aside and tripping over ourselves to hastily usher in a new year, I felt compelled to take a closer look. I know I had times of feeling uncharacteristically down in the dumps about the state of our world – I wanted to connect with you at this time in case you felt similarly (for the same reasons as me or due to any other factors)

If you have felt sad or hopeless at all in 2016, remember that honouring our emotions is important but hanging on to the mourning won’t:

1. Make any of us feel better or

2. Help engender or amplify any of the positive changes wanted as an alternative

– so instead, this is the exercise I invite you to do to acknowledge the end of 2016… Seriously… it’s magical (well, powerful anyway). I encourage you to join me with it.

My brutally honest 2016 review 

Go through the points below in this “My brutally honest 2016 review” and give (approx 3) responses to each one. I’m sharing some of mine with one example per question:

1. List 3 things you are grateful for in 2016 
(E.g. 1 The birth of my daughter Naila. Before her I thought my heart was full of love and had no idea that I had the capacity for so much more. She is the greatest blessing I / we could have wished for. Her arrival made this the best year imaginable for me, on a personal front)

2. List 3 reasons why (personal or public) events of 2016 made you upset / were disappointing / sh**** for you?
(E.g. 1. Politics and leadership seeming to head in a divisive, separatist and in my opinion, unacceptable direction… Which does not reflect the more inclusive, awesome world I’d like us to be working towards)

3. What major, potentially life changing realisations have you had in 2016? 
(E.g. 1. Complacency won’t cut it – it’s time to take action and be more vocal in my community and beyond E.g. 2. I am not my career and my career is not me)

4. Who / what made you smile / laugh / dance this year? 
(My e.g. 1. Bruno Mars 24k Magic. That song gets us up dancing every time!
My daughter / my hubby / my folks / some friends / The Ellen Show)

5. What has been brilliant career wise or… what has your job / career enabled you to achieve in the year? 
(My e.g. Grateful to have has a much needed pause this year! It’s been brilliant that my 5 years+ in my employed work allowed me to have nearly a year away on maternity leave – creating the opportunity to really connect as a new family… Without focusing on work, for the first time in my adult life!)

6. What big leaps / risks have you taken to enhance your career or lifestyle this year? 
(E.g. We sold our flat in Surrey / south London and bought a small terraced house, 15 minutes down the road. Having moved in in late October we’re happily settling in.)

7. Who in your circle (or if not your circle, in the public sphere) have you admired this year and why (and once you do this – do tell them!) 
(E.g. – a friend of mine and member of this community who I won’t name as I haven’t asked her permission, and she’s currently on a very long flight! – who is in the process of moving her young family from the UK to Australia, in search of difference and potentially a better lifestyle. I’ll miss her so much but Yaaaaaasssss to taking a risk, making a change and taking steps towards creating the lifestyle you want for your family)

So there you have it. An antidote to the projections surrounding us about pure doom and gloom of 2016 as with this exercise, one that you can even do in increments while watching festive holiday movies, can shift your energy to focus on some of the positive elements of the year.

“Good riddance 2016” may be a relevant sentiment but remember… What you focus on grows – and while burying your head in the sand like an ostrich may be tempting (oh… Just me tempted by that then?! Lol) – it is not the answer as YOU… A more positive, determined, action taking YOU is what is needed to head in the right direction (as per your beliefs / opinions).

An opportunity to start 2017 on an amazing note 

A few nights ago, I was energised by a Female Entrepreneur Association “Focus on 2017” online session, which was so energising and powerful that I’ve decided to offer something similar to this community. Not just for my mastermind group (we do something like this annually) but to also do one for for the wider Limitless Coaching family if the interest is there. For more information:

1. If you’re a parent – join the mailing list here and now and you’ll get information about the dates and opportunity imminently

2. Not a parent but interested in a similarly powerful session? Contact me and I’ll see what I can do.

Don’t just accept that enthusiasm and hope for the New Year will fade. Choose to invest in yourself to take some action. Remember I’m here to both kick **** and support you if you’re really ready for something better.

Thanks for the lessons 2016. See you on the other side.