Reflection:  Happy 2017 to you! It’s a new year and a fresh start. How are things going so far?

For many years now, I’ve set aside a couple of days at the beginning of January to look back at the year that was and forward to the year that lies ahead. It’s a great way to mark progress – and, let’s face it, sometimes note the lack thereof!

A couple of years ago I also started the practice of tossing notes in one of two jars throughout the year. One jar holds notes about things I hope will come to pass. The other jar holds gratitudes – notes about experiences and people I appreciate as the year unfolds. It’s fun to flip through both before starting afresh each January.

In looking ahead, I usually set a few specific goals for various parts of my life. And in the last few years, I’ve also chosen a word or phrase that sets an intention or direction for the coming year. Creativity, Gumption, Flow, and Contentment have all taken a turn in the spotlight. For 2017, I’ve chosen Free To Explore.

Action: What kind of practices support you as you hang a fresh calendar and start a new year? I’d love to hear from you on this.

If you haven’t dabbled in any kind of focused review or direction setting but the idea interests you, check out the Resource of the Week section for a few links you might find helpful.

Quote Of The Week: We have a choice every day – to act on yesterday’s good intentions or get an early start on tomorrow’s regrets. – Robert Braul

Resources Of The Week: Here are a few resources you might find helpful in doing a bit of year end/ new year reflection of your own:

• Sam Horn’s ‘Review & Preview Questions‘
• Susannah Conway’s ‘Unravel Your Year Workbook‘
• Marcia Reynolds ‘Set Your Theme Of The Year Before Setting Your Goals‘

NEWS:

Changes Ahead: ‘Free to Explore’ represents my intention to be less locked in and more available to what arises through the year and what calls me in the moment. Age and stage of life are part of that desire. My husband will be retiring from work completely mid-year, and I’m curious about where more openness of time might take us.

I continue to love speaking – especially about spark and malaise, renewal and appreciation. I have no desire to step away from that; but I am ready to spend fewer hours in the office.

To that end, I’m exploring a 60% work week for 2017. That means a couple of things for you. First of all after 16 years of writing a weekly Pause ezine, I’m switching to publishing every second week in the year ahead. Secondly, maybe you’ve thought, ‘Sometime we ought to get Pat in to work with our staff or present at our convention.’ If so, now would be the perfect time to act on that idea to be sure you snag your date in my more limited calendar.

Engagement Series: The first session in the 3 part Engagement Series that I’m delivering through the U of S Edwards School of Business (Fueling Enthusiasm) takes place next week (Jan 19). There’s still time to join us. This link takes you to the registration details.