Today we’re going to stray a bit from our normally scheduled programming so I can share with you a favorite holiday tradition that is guaranteed to empower you!
Not only will it boost your confidence and motivation toward your goals as well as cultivate immense gratitude, joy, and fulfillment, it will also set in place a simple, effective way to track your wins and your personal growth.
So, I suggest that before the year’s end you get yourself comfy and cozy, turn on a soothing playlist (this one is fun if you’re in a Christmas-y mood!!), and type or write a letter to your December, 2024 self.
Save it for a year, then read it and bask in it before writing a letter to your December, 2025 self.
That’s it!
Many of us have done this kind of exercise before, so it may sound a bit pedestrian.
But a letter like this, when constructed the right way, can work wonders for your personal growth!
How to Implement this Powerful Tradition
I started this practice with myself 4 years ago, and it went like this:
First, I wrote to my future self of my proudest moments of the year.
Second, I went in depth about the struggles I was currently experiencing and things that were the most painful.
Third, I spoke to her of my wishes for the next year. I told her what I hoped to accomplish within myself and what I hoped to see changed or healed in my life within a year.
And finally, I offered heartfelt gratitude to my year-ahead self for all the effort she would no doubt have put in all year long on behalf of both of us.
The next Christmas, I pulled up the document to get a glimpse from my past.
The first time I tried it, what stuck out the most is that almost every struggle I had the year before was no longer an issue.
Not only that, but most of my wishes for the new year had come to pass as well.
It’s a powerful moment every year, and that’s why I want to share it with you!
Why This Is a Gamechanger
Another reason this exercise is so impactful is that it gives an objective view of the successes we may not even have been aware of.
This is key because if we don’t take time to celebrate our wins, so many of them will be lost in the abyss of our memories.
A letter to ourselves year after year also shows how temporary our problems can be.
Even if right now you can’t recall the struggles you were ruminating on a year ago, I’m willing to bet that many of them have been resolved!
This tradition is a way to stay in alignment to what’s really important to you, all the while connecting you to your highest, most authentic self.
My hope for you
In 2024, I hope you find yourself regularly and genuinely connecting to others.
I wish you personal growth and empowerment.
I believe in your ability to take excellent care of yourself physically.
I wish you self compassion, purpose, and meaning.
I hope your year is filled with more freedom, more autonomy, and more positive experiences.
And lastly, I want you to know that I am thankful for you.
I’m thankful for all the time we got to spend together this year, the learning and growing we did, and for getting to be a person who’s always in your corner.
