I was strolling through a shopping centre last month and feeling puzzled that Christmas carols were playing over the airwaves. The same thought always flashes across my mind, “What? It’s Christmas already? How did another year just fly by so fast?”
My instinctive reaction is to reflect on the past year, the highs and the lows and whether I have done what I set out to do in 2011.
For instance, I had all these New Year resolutions but only a few were followed but others fell by the wayside and are still collecting dust.
In any case, I have come up with my own list of things to bear in mind at the end of the year before we start planning for 2012.
·If you had a New Year resolution this year you did not follow, don’t beat yourself up on it. At least the intention was there and another fresh year is coming up to prove to yourself that you still can do it! For example, I made a resolution to wake up every day before 6am, but it only happened about 10 times this whole year. I’m going to give myself another shot at it next year.
·Forgive yourself. Let go of all the things you wished you had done differently this year. We can’t undo the past, so no point crying over spilled milk. Just move on.
·Forgive others. When you are burning with resentment, you’re the one who is suffering so try to find the strength to let go of the grudges you’re carrying around. Why would you want to weigh yourself down with all this “excess baggage”?
·Manage your time. One of the things I’m learning more and more now that I’m running my own business is that “time is money” and I’ve learnt to say “no” to certain projects because I can’t take on everything or justify the resources it might use up. I will be looking closely at this next year and prioritising on what makes sense to focus on in 2012.
·Have patience. In life and in business, we can’t always get everything ‘right’ straight away. On a personal note (excuse the pun), I’ve been learning to play the erhu, which is a two- stringed Chinese violin. It is extremely challenging because it has no frets so your fingers have to slide to find the right notes. As there are no quick results or shortcuts on this ancient instrument, it reminds me that perfection always takes time and practice.
·Let go of the ‘mistakes’ of 2011. We all make mistakes. Some big, and some small, because we’re only human. The important thing is to learn the lesson and stop repeating it.
·Bury the hatchet. If there’s something hanging over your head as unfinished business, then tend to it so you can have closure. If you’ve already done everything you can, then practice the motto, “Let sleeping dogs lie.”
·Have gratitude for all those who have helped you along your path this year. Gratitude is a highly positive emotion and is said to attract even more abundance into your life.
·Don’t harbour regrets. At the end of the day, nothing is a waste of time. For myself, I’m even grateful for the ‘negative business encounters’ I came across because I learnt a lot from them and what ‘not to do’ next time round. For instance, I was taken for a ride by my contractor when he was renovating my office. It has taught me to be more diligent in the future and to not take things at face value.
·Clear out the clutter in your house, your workspace, even your bedroom so that you can get rid of the ‘old’ to make space for the ‘new’. I’m going to do some serious spring-cleaning this December because I’ve accumulated so much junk across the year. Also, if you have clothes you cannot see yourself wearing any more, give it away to the less fortunate.
·Accept the decisions you have made. If you did something that failed this year, change your strategy or do something different next year.
·End the year on a good note. It’s just like bedtime. When you go to sleep with an angry thought, you might wake up the next day in a bad mood. So end the year on a positive note so that you can kickstart 2012 in good spirits.
As the year draws to a close, I wanted to leave you with a quote from film star, James Dean who passed away at the tender age of 24. He said, “Dream as if you’ll live forever; live as if you’ll die today.”
Wishing all Malaysians a Merry Christmas and smashing New Year ahead!.
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