Aaaaah, 2014. New year, new beginnings. Time to wipe the slate clean, start fresh and make choices that allow us to be a better version of ourselves.
Everything becomes possible again.
The air becomes easier to breathe.
Fear once again turns to faith.
But if you step into the new year blindly, you’ll likely fall right back into the same fears and patterns that kept you from reaching your potential last year. Even if you were rockin’ it last year, most of us know there were things we could have done better…with greater ease, more efficiency, more joy, more love.
I know “resolutions” aren’t for everyone. There is a stigma around them much like the stigma around diets. Statistics show us that they are recipes for failure, and who wants to sign up for that?!
But I do believe that we all WANT them to work. Why else would we make them year in and year out? Because THIS is the year things will be different! Right?!
I believe that we WANT to have better health, more energy, more fun. I believe we WANT to find ways to cultivate more compassion and less judgment of ourselves and others.
I believe that each and every one of us not only wants to, but CAN, find more courage to dream even bigger and brighter dreams, to commit to continuous growth and expansion, and to step powerfully through fear.
I believe that resolutions work when they are met with a powerful action plan, persistence and support. When we have all that in place, we allow the new year to unfold in ways beyond our wildest imagination.
I’ve used many tools to support me in living each year to the fullest, and I wanted to share a couple that have served me well. I’ve also discovered a new one that I wish I’d found a couple years ago, but am super excited to use it as a means to fuel my fire this year!
First, Vision Boards.
I created my first vision board in 2006, and the following year my husband joined me in the process, and we’ve included our children in ways that worked for their age over the years since. It is one of my very favorite family traditions now, and it’ a great way to get your kids involved in the goal setting and dream making process! Nothing better than seeing their minds swirling with ideas about what’s possible in their life!
Vision boards are about creating focus and flow, and are a really fun way to get clear about what you want. Once the board is made, hang it somewhere you’ll be sure to see it every day so your dreams stay at the forefront of your mind. This way you can make your choices based on whether they’re moving you closer to or farther from your dreams.
I wrote a post about vision boards a while back, and you can find it here for more details on the process.
Second, the 100 Day Challenge.
Almost everyone starts the year strong, but how many actually finish strong? Regular gym-goers get a first-hand look every year at how quickly resolutions fade. The gym gets insanely crowded as people (once again) set their weight loss goals. But my mid-February, it’s back to the regulars, plus the few who figured out that it would take something more than merely setting the resolution.
Seeking support is a great place to start. Find an accountablity buddy, a coach, a group program or anything you can pour your heart into it with everything you’ve got. Because that’s really what it takes. Yep, it’s going to take everything you’ve got to see this through.
I’m not saying it will easy, but it will definitely be worth it. And it will get easier (and dare I say, maybe even joyful?!) 
The 100 Day Challenge is for you if you’re looking for a fast-paced, insanely motivating, kick-in-the-ass kind of challenge.
If you’ve got a mountain to climb this year, be it health, business or life related, or perhaps you’ve got a belief system that’s begging for a breakthrough…..whatever it is, this is for you if you’re attitude is BRING IT ON. There’s nothing quite like a good old fashioned challenge to see what you’re made, to push the boundaries and tests your limits, as it is ONLY when we overcome these trials that we get to reap the sweetest rewards.
You are ready for some sweet rewards, aren’t you?!
This challenge was LIFE-CHANGING for me when I was in an intense phase of my previous business and needed to create massive results quickly. The 100 Day Challenge is about no excuses and playing big! And when you do that, wow, the sky’s the limit on what you can accomplish.
I took this challenge to finish 2009 strong. I created more in those last 100 days than I did the rest of the year combined! I was READY to make big things happen, so a program like this was the perfect guidance for me to up my game. It was so powerful for me that I took the challenge again at the start of 2013 to get revitalized after taking some time away to focus on my littlest one. It definitely got me rockin’ again quickly!
Third, Creating Your Best Year Yet.
Aaaaah. While I loved the intensity and drive of the 100 day challenge, I’m in a different phase of my life and business right now, and needed something more creative and expansive. Something that got me really grounded, really clear and in the flow.
And what I found couldn’t be more perfect!
Leonie Dawson is a truly extraordinary goddess, shining more light into the world than I knew possible for one person! I’ll admit, when I first watched a video of Leonie, I thought she was a wee-bit off her rocker! She is unabashedly herself, and you can’t help but love her for that. Or not, I suppose, but I have fallen so in love with her zaniness! If you know SARK, whose book Succulent Wild Women became the manifesto our my college years with my housemates/ sisters, then you will understand me when I say that Leonie is SARK’s personified!
Leonie is a mentor to women wanting to create and grow massively successful, heart-centered, creative and soulful businesses. She has created a vibrant, ½ million dollar a year business working 4 hours a day from the comfort of her home nestled in the rainforest of Australia. She spends her time playing with her family, doing beautiful philanthropic work for many charities around the world, and immersed in her many creative outlets and expressions.
Um, yes please!
So….Creating Your Best Year Yet.
These workbooks have become quite a movement! Over the past 5 years, 24,000+ women have used these workbooks to manifest their wildest dreams and goals in incredibly powerful ways.
There are two workbooks, one for life and one for business. If you don’t have a business and are looking to create more vibrant health, more magic in your relationships, and experience more adventure, love, joy and bliss, then check out the Life Workbook.
If you’re looking to get more clients, double your mailing list, exceed income goals every single month, then definitely get the Biz Workbook. But you’ll want the Life one as well…because what’s having a gorgeous business if your life doesn’t match it? 
And they’re super affordable, which I’ve noticed is part of Leonie’s gift to the world. She prices her stuff in a way that makes them accessible, which I suppose is a must if your goal is to help 30,000 women have an incredible year in 2014!
This workbook is gorgeous, creative, inspiring and joy-filled! I wish I’d discovered it sooner! The workbook first guided me through releasing what I needed to that wasn’t serving me from 2013, which provided a clear space to create the most incredibly year of my dreams.
I am already a braver, deeper, wiser version of myself having completed this process. All I can say is, Bring it, 2014!
Finally, the Find Your Happy Challenge.
I just stumbled upon this the other day, and am so thrilled I did! Shannon Kaiser, from the blog Play With the World, has put together this little gem of a challenge. She’s calling it 21 days to create a super joyful YOU!
It’s free, it’s fun, and it will certainly set the tone for a super fabulous year! Do some of these or all of them…however you play, these tips all rock. I actually switched days 2 and 4….I knew I needed a weekend day to clean out my closet, and knew it would be easier to buy coffee for someone during the week. Since I don’t have a boss or employees, I bought coffee for a stranger! It was so fun to create such joy in this woman’s life, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she pays it forward in some way. That’s the beauty in these simple acts of kindness and love!
Just scroll through the 21 days of the Find Your Happy Challenge and if you’re anything like me, you’ll be smiling from ear to ear at the very thought of putting these ideas into action! I shared this with my Facebook followers and a dear friend loved it so much she started it with her daughters. I love that! While my kiddos are a bit young, I’m planning to include them as much as I can.
So there you have it, a nice variety of choices to help you dream big, create massive results, open your heart and find immense joy in 2014!
And if you think you’re not “ready”, keep this wisdom from renowned business and life coach, Marie Forleo….
“There’s a secret you need to know: the world’s happiest and healthiest women never ‘feel ready’ to make a bold move—they just go. Starting before you’re ready will put you in a place that pulls you forward and forces you to step up, so you’ll no longer be on the sidelines paralyzed by fear and perfectionism. You don’t have to get it perfect, you just have to get it going.”
So if you’re ready to get going, then it’s time to dig deep, step through fear and into faith, and let your light shine!
To dreams coming true in 2014!
Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, your cost will remain the same, but I will receive a small commission. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” I appreciate your support of my blog and business!