Rebecca’s Year in Review on a Napkin
Instead of making resolutions at the end of the year, we decided to do a review of what we had accomplished in 2016. When we “interviewed” our family members (they are always the guinea pigs for the exercises we suggest to you here), we got responses such as “I didn’t really accomplish much” or “Can’t we just forget last year, it was so difficult!”.
When Rebecca did this with her mother and husband their lists were much longer than expected. They started on one side of a napkin and between the three of them, they filled it up three napkins.
Rebecca’s sister, Jenny, did the year in review with her boys Ian, 12 and Chris 14. They’d both been on the honor role and they’d learned how to snowboard. They got increasingly animated as they brought up things they had forgotten and things for each other and for Jenny–e.g., that they’d taught Jenny to do a three quarter flip and they had cleaned out the basement to make room for an animal zoo (hamsters, mice, chinchillas, and snakes).
The boys organically mixed in things for which they were grateful. It started out with presents they’d received, but then turned into more heartfelt blessings, such as that Fuzzball, their orange tabby, had survived being hit by a car and they had nurtured him back to health. They remembered every trip they had taken that year, not so much for the destination but for the family and friends they had gone to visit.
The same thing happened for us when we were making our lists. We were reminded of people we’d gone to see, things we’d accomplished in our homes, ways we’d tended to our health, and all of the little things we had done that kept life going–paying bills, reducing debt, exercising, etc.
Interestingly, at the end of all of these, we were suddenly inspired to figure out what we wanted to do in 2017! Rather than feeling discouraged by all of the things that we had not completed or pressure to do things that we should, we were excited that, having gotten so much done last year, we were now ready to move on to bigger, better things!
For our part at CWW, we feel a sense of accomplishment (and relief!) that we completed two really big projects–the Positive Psychology and Art Therapy book we’ve been writing for the last two years and the Miraval Coloring Book (now Coloring Creates Wellbeing: The Desert Mandalas Coloring Book). We’ve been so consumed with these projects, though, that we haven’t had as much time to fulfill our mission–to help people feel happier, more hopeful, more creative, and more connected.
So one of our aspirations this year is to get more wellbeing resources to you. We’ll start with another coloring page from the Miraval Coloring Book to download for those of you who find that relaxing and then each month we’ll provide downloadable handouts on wellbeing and happiness.
We look forward to collaborating with you and wish you the very best in 2017.
Warmly, Rebecca and Gioia
Art Activity
Make a review list for 2016. You might find someone to do this with, they will help jog your memory and it’s more fun. Write things that you accomplished–little things you did regularly, major achievements, places you traveled, people you spent time with and all of the things that you took care of throughout the year. Sketch little images that go with each. Think about what you would like to do next year to follow up on those endeavors.
The Coloring Creates Wellbeing: The Desert Mandalas Coloring Book has 30 circular coloring designs which showcase the spa and the desert. Click here to order a copy for yourself. Or get several and have a coloring klatch. Click here for a free coloring image download. Below it are some of the other images from the coloring book.