As we embark on our journey for the new year, we get to choose what will guide us. So my question is, where will you choose to focus your energy – on the past, present or future? This is a very important question because it can give you some important clues and insights about where you are headed and where you may be struggling.

There is of course, no right answer to this question, but I’ll share a little more about what your orientation can mean.

PAST: Here we are attached to what was. This can mean romanticizing a period of our lives when things were easy, different and possibly more exciting or perhaps we might reflect on when we were younger and felt more energy. This wistful remembering can be valuable if we’re able to take the lessons from our experiences and translate them into something meaningful now. However often I see people who are overly attached to the past to their detriment.

They may have an older versions of themselves when they were happier, younger or more successful than they are now and they long for that period of time. Or maybe a bad experience with a boss, job, company or some other aspect of their life may have set them back and they remain stuck in that difficult place, unable to move past those memories and that negative imprint. Whether our memories were good or bad, they can become weights that tether us to an old story that is frozen in time. Overly attaching to what was can make it difficult for us to move into what could be. We may inadvertently be looking in the wrong direction and preventing ourselves from moving forward to new possibilities.

PRESENT: This is being open to what is occurring in this moment now. It’s an important and magical place to be engaged because it helps us notice our current experience and make intentional choices in response to the circumstances at hand. The power of NOW is that it is a place of decision – how and where will you direct your energy? Do you need to act and do something or would you be better served resting and being? There’s no wrong choice, just the awareness of what you need for yourself in this moment.

FUTURE: Here, we consider what we are hoping to create and what might happen in the distance. There are so many unknown experiences we may have, which can elicit joy and excitement or fear and trepidation around the uncertainty. We cannot predict how things will unfold. And yet, we are well served by considering where we would like to be, so we can take thoughtful steps in the direction of our dreams.

Those who set goals, writing them down, sharing them with others and developing plans are much more likely to realize them (research has shown a 33% to 42% higher success rate). Thinking about the future can lead you to achieve those results, which is pretty incredible. Though here’s the catch – what are you imagining for yourself?

Create A Reality That You Desire

Is the future you envision exciting, inspiring and motivating as you consider what you want or are you filled with doubt, overwhelm and impostor syndrome? How you talk to yourself (and others), what you think and the actions you do or don’t take all add up to the future that you will and can create for yourself.

Why not make it easy for yourself and err on the side of positivity and belief. Don’t let the weight of this awesome responsibility that you are responsible for creating your experience burden you or hold you back. If you’re thinking: “wow, that’s a lot on me to make the right choices!” Why yes, it is. And it can also be fun and easy.

What if you were charting a path to what you truly desire (in the FUTURE), taking aligned action now (in the PRESENT), and acknowledging and benefiting from the lessons you’ve already learned (in the PAST)? This, my friends, is your recipe for success through taking authentic and aligned action.

INTEGRATE YOUR FULL SELF!

When you know who you are, where you’ve come from, where you are heading now and why, then you will be unstoppable! This is the process that I share in my new book, So, What Do You Do? The Authentic Alchemy Path to Find Who You Are. The Authentic Alchemy Path is my thoughtful eight-step framework to uncover a more meaningful life through fulfilling values and soul-aligned work. The book will be formally launching in March and I’ll be sharing more information in the coming weeks, but I would like to give you a sneak peak and opportunity to get early access. You can read the first 2 chapters here.

Create your future

If you’re ready to create a new direction for yourself or make progress on your big vision, let’s connect. I can help you make sense of your past in a way that feels empowering and help you step into an amazing future with the strategies you need to be adaptable, resilient and aligned right now.

Here’s hoping that your new year is off to an amazing start already. I’d love to hear what you are longing to create in the future!

To wonderful new opportunities,

Lenore