UNRAVELING THE YEAR AHEAD – 2023

Again, I want to start by saying that this is going to be a long post. These reflective posts are how I make sure to live my life intentionally. They matter to me and I love being able to look back on them in future years. I know that this might not be interesting to many (if not any) of you, so please feel free to skip it. If some of you find it interesting, all the better.

This particular exercise is following Susannah Conway’s Unraveling 2023 sheet. You can download it right here. I split the reflective questions looking back on 2022 in and the questions to help clarify goals/dreams for 2023 into two posts. This is part II. All questions are Susannah’s and are copyrighted to her.

It’s now most definitely time to look forward! I love how a new year holds so much possibility.  It’s a do-over, a blank slate, a new page to be filled with whatever we want. There’ll always be  the responsibilities and routines of our everyday, but that doesn’t mean we have to keep doing things in the same old way. Whether you wish to bring in big changes or do a bit of fine-tuning,  it’s all to play for in 2023.  

1. First, choose a word to guide you through the next 12 months. Pick a word that makes you feel  expanded. Encouraged. Inspired. There’s no right or wrong answer so go with your intuition. What’s your Word for 2023? My word is OPEN.
2. If you truly embodied your Word every day in 2023, what would you do differently? I would lean into the spaciousness that being open creates. I would be generous and kind and at peace. 
3. What one thing could you do each day to anchor your Word into your routine? Meditate. Smile. Hug myself and my people. Maybe do insta again but I am not sure. Give myself a hug. Ground myself in gratitude and remember my abundance.
4. How does your Word make you feel? Grounded and peaceful. 
5. Do you want any extra words to support your Word for 2023? Brainstorm here. Think about what  you need in the different areas of your life: home… work… relationships.. Health… self-care…  What would support your Word? Here are some other words that really resonate with me: surrender, spacious, brave, equanimity, abundant, grounded. 
6. What are you looking forward to in 2023? I am looking forward to some major milestones in my family. My younger one graduating middle school and my older one graduating high school and going off to college. Getting his license hopefully. Visiting my parents and celebrating my dad turning 80. I have a lot to be grateful for.
7. What are you feeling apprehensive about? I am apprehensive about a lot of things around the people I love and their journeys but I am also learning that we will all be ok. We will care for each other and we will weather whatever comes together. We can do this.
8. What life lessons are you taking with you into 2023? That I can only be there and hold someone’s hand but I can’t change them and I can’t fix things for them, I can’t walk their journey for them. I am one person and I can only walk my own journey. And all these mantras from last year still work well for me too: Is this mine to carry? Can I hold this lightly? Can I let this go? I have my own back. Give people an opportunity to delight and not disappoint. The ground beneath me is not going anywhere. Thank you for everything, I have no complaints whatsoever.
9. What area of your life do you most want to develop in 2023? To be honest, I am most interested and focused on sitting inside this peace and groundedness. Being open and remembering it’s all icing. I do still want to work on nutrition and exercise and body image because it’s a journey I would like to be in a different place with.
10. What part of yourself do you yearn to nurture in 2023? The spaciousness. The generosity. Remembering what matters and choosing to respond.
11. Fast-forward to December 2023. You’re sitting in a café, musing over the last 12 months.  Where do you want to be… … in your head? (work, dreams, goals) I want to enjoy my job, feel like I’m adding value and working with people I learn from and enjoy being around.
12. … in your heart? (relationships, family, friends) I want my family to be happy and thriving. I want to have a few close friends who I can have deep conversations with and grow alongside. And I want to see and hug my family.
13. … in your soul? (beliefs, practices, self-love) I want to remember how it’s all bonus from here onwards. I want to make sure to keep abundance and spaciousness and be open to being delighted and surprised. 
14. … in your physical world? (home, health, hobbies) I want to continue to do more art. Watercolors, sketching and things that make me happy. I want to continue to journal so I can stay connected to my soul. I want to find a movement that really resonates with me and I want to honor my body and feed it with love.

Everything is Possible 

1. Okay, let’s take it up a notch. Use this page to describe what 2023 looks like in your ideal  world. Be specific! What are your dreams for love this year? Work? Play? Where are you hungry  for change? How do you want 2023 to FEEL? Use your answers from the previous pages to craft  your ideal vision for the next 12 months. What would saying YES to your life look and feel like? Write out everything your heart desires for this new year. Be bold.
   1. It would mean that I wake up and do my exercise and then my meditation, I continue to do cardio, strength and restorative work. 
   2. It would mean I tell my kids and husband how much I love them everyday and see the joy of our life together and invest in each of them individually as well as a family unit.
   3. It would mean I find value in the work I do and feel a strong sense of belonging and contribution at work and find a way to give back.
   4. It would mean that I eat what feeds my body, take care of my skin, and do what feeds my brain and soul. 
   5. It would mean that I prioritize sleep.
   6. It would mean I spend time doing art and journaling and reading. 
   7. It would mean I see my friends in person.
   8. It would mean I go out into nature and ground myself physically in what gives me deep contentment.
   9. It would mean I would be open to possibility and surprise and growth and to listening.

Air

1. List 3 unhelpful beliefs about yourself you’re ready to release 
   1. I am alone
   2. I am weak
   3. I am ugly.
2. List 3 duties or commitments you feel ready to let go of in 2023 
   1. Others’ expectations.
   2. Going places I don’t want to go.
   3. Saying yes to things out of fear.
3. List 3 skills you’d like to learn or improve in 2023 
   1. Art. Drawing and painting. Landscapes. Urban sketching.
   2. Climbing, hiking.
   3. Cooking maybe, it might be interesting to learn it.
4. List 3 books you intend to read this year: I will read hundreds.
5. How could you bring more calm into your life (and head) this year? I will continue to meditate. I will go more slowly. I will lie in bed. 

Water

6. List 3 things about yourself you positively love 
   1. I am dependable.
   2. I get things done.
   3. I am kind.
   4. I always work on myself and try to improve.
7. List 3 ways you could be kinder to your body this year 
   1. I can eat more nutritious food.
   2. I can put moisturizing cream on more regularly. 
   3. I can floss more regularly. 
   4. I can exercise regularly.
   5. I probably can sit at my desk more or figure out a more ergonomic setup
8. List 3 ways you could connect with loved ones in 2023 
   1. I’d love to have some recurring connection with my friends.
   2. Daytrips and adventures with J.
   3. I can call/text an old/new friend a week.
9. List 3 people you could extend compassion to 
   1. Jake
   2. Myself + the kids.
   3. Everyone I see.
10. How could you bring more love into your life this year? I can do this by taking care of myself so I can stay grounded and open and operate from a space of abundance. 

Fire

11. List 3 interests/hobbies you would like to explore more in 2023 
    1. art
    2. cooking
    3. Online classes
12. List 3 ways you could feed your imagination this year 
    1. Maybe learning some new skills like cooking
    2. Traveling
    3. Go on artist’s dates+sketching dates
13. List 3 ways you could bring more passion into your world this year 
    1. Do something new with J regularly
    2. Volunteer for causes that matter to me
    3. Love/Hug my people
14. List 3 dreams you would like to manifest this year (personal or professional) 
    1. Get really good at sketching (urban) and improve my painting. 
    2. Find peace with nutrition
    3. Expand upon this newfound peace
15. How could you bring more creative energy into your life this year? Doing some sort of regular practice is what works the very best.

Earth

16. List 3 ways you could bring more mindfulness to your mornings 
    1. Exercise + meditation
    2. Skin care 
    3. Some art or journaling
17. List 3 ways you could bring more mindfulness to your evenings (I added this because I want to do both mornings and evenings.) 
    1. Diffuser for a few minutes + foot cream
    2. Floss
    3. Maybe insta, maybe some reading
18. List 3 ways you could cherish your home this year
    1. Buy flowers and twinkle lights
    2. Let things be what they are
    3. Enjoy the backyard.
19. List 3 ways you could connect more deeply with nature in 2023 
    1. Go on hiking/climbing trips
    2. Toes in sand/water + watch sunsets
    3. Sit outside as much as possible.
20. List 3 places in your city, town or neighborhood you want to explore 
    1. The city more 
    2. More parks
    3. Caltrain.
21. How could you bring a sense of groundedness into your life this year? Continue to meditate and do restorative yoga. Journal. Stay present. Regularly release. Remember the icing.
22. Using your favourite tarot or oracle deck, draw one card for the overall theme of the upcoming year and then a card for each month of 2023. Okay, let’s take it up a notch. Use this page to describe what 2023 looks like in your ideal  world. Be specific! What are your dreams for love this year? Work? Play? Where are you hungry  for change? How do you want 2023 to FEEL? Use your answers from the previous pages to craft  your ideal vision for the next 12 months. What would saying YES to your life look and feel like? Write out everything your heart desires for this new year. Be bold.
    1. It would mean that I wake up and do my exercise and then my meditation, I continue to do cardio, strength and restorative work. 
    2. It would mean I tell my kids and husband how much I love them everyday and see the joy of our life together and invest in each of them individually as well as a family unit.
    3. It would mean I find value in the work I do and feel a strong sense of belonging and contribution at work and find a way to give back.
    4. It would mean that I eat what feeds my body, take care of my skin, and do what feeds my brain and soul. 
    5. It would mean that I prioritize sleep.
    6. It would mean I spend time doing art and journaling and reading. 
    7. It would mean I see my friends in person.
    8. It would mean I go out into nature and ground myself physically in what gives me deep contentment.
    9. It would mean I would be open to possibility and surprise and growth and to listening.
23. Now let’s give those dreams and plans some shape. Use the grid to start plotting the details of 2023. Use words and pictures, dates and anniversaries. Include actual events and made-up dreams, too. Be playful. Doodle your heart out. Back in 2013, our January OLW assignment involved setting intentions and I really enjoyed that, so I thought maybe I can do that instead. 
    • January: Open Eyes: Start paying attention. What’s there that you’re not seeing. Can you look with a different perspective. What are you choosing to not look at? See all of it.
    • February: Open Heart: Choose to be all in for the people you love. Don’t hold back. Be vulnerable. Share your feelings. Give them chances. Give it all.
    • March:  Open Door: This is usually a hard month for you, so open that door. Walk through what has felt closed, what has felt hard. Try new adventures and things to do. Do something you haven’t done before. Welcome the new.
    • April: Wide Open: How far can you go? Are you feeling the spaciousness? Are you living the full depth and breadth of your life? Open to the goodness of your life. Remember it’s all icing.
    • May: Open Mind: This is the time to try something totally new. Challenge your assumptions about yourself. Take a class. Dance class?
    • June: Burst Open: Hug your people. Celebrate them. So much to celebrate this month. Let it all out. Crack open. Break open. Let the gratitude and joy flow in. Leap.
    • July:  Open Air: The summer is here. Go have new experiences outside. Feel Alive. Watch the sunset and sunrise. Climb. Hike. Feel the water.
    • August: Open Arms: It’s time to be open to life, to experiences. Hug more. Reach out to your people. Receive the love, the kindness, let yourself feel it.
    • September: Open Sesame: This is your birthday month. Let’s make some magic happen. David will be in college. Aurelia in high school. So much change. Make it magical.
    • October: Open House: Take responsibility for friendship. reach out. show up. connect. Host people.
    • November:  Open More: can you open wider? where are you still holding back? What’s getting in the way? go farther. risk more. deeper, wider, longer, what’s the next level? where can you lean in more?
    • December:  Open Book: Reading, writing, journaling, telling our story, feeling seen and making others feel seen. Snuggle and connect.

The Wrap-Up 

• 2023 will be the year I finally make peace with my body.
• I will nourish myself with kindness and love.
• I will make more time for art, people i love, exercise.   
• I will recharge my batteries by resting, journaling and doing yoga.
• This year I will open my heart to love.
• I will pay more attention to my openness and abundance vs scarcity.
• I will learn more about how to sketch, cook, move. 
• I will release my attachment to controlling the outcome. 
• I wish for 2023 to feel spacious.
• This year I will say NO to what doesn’t matter. 
• This year I will say YES to being here now and loving my people as they are.
• What is your secret wish for 2023? Declare it here! That I continue to live in this space of peace, ease and equanimity. That I am open to what comes, that I operate from abundance. That I can see the pure magic of life. That I can be grounded in gratitude.

I wholeheartedly believe that everything is possible in 2023!

As always, I mention many of these same thoughts from last year and here, here, and here. I am pretty sure these themes have been in my life in some way or another for many years. I know that they will likely still be around in 2023 and onward. What I’d like to do this year is to make a dent. To move things forward a little bit. Every forward step I take moves me in the right direction and that’s all I can ask for.

• Close your eyes for a moment and imagine stepping into the shoes of you from December 2023, one year from now. You are one year older and one year wiser and you’ve lived every day of 2023 fully and completely. You have a message of encouragement about 2023. There’s stuff you want to share… stuff you’re eager to tell yourself. When you’re ready, open your eyes, pick up your pen, and write a letter from your future self, starting with Dear Karen: I love you and have your back. Keep going, you got this!

• This time next year I will be at peace.
• This time next year I will have gratitude for what is.
• This time next year I will feel light.
• This time next year I will know that I got this.