Welcome to 2012! Since twelve is a number that crops up all over the place and seems to have some sort of special significance – twelve eggs to a dozen; the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve Apostles, the twelve signs of the Zodiac; the twelve days of Christmas; the twelve steps of Alcoholics Anonymous, the “twelfth of never” – we thought we’d make twelve recommendations for self-discovery for the coming year, one for each of the twelve months in the year. And to make even more of the number twelve, we created our list in acrostic form using two iterations of the letters that spell the word twelve T, W, E, L, V and E.
January: T – Try something new.
February: W – Wonder at the world’s beauty.
March: E – Engross yourself in meaningful activities.
April: L – Let go of baggage – actual and emotional.
May: V – Volunteer to help, formally or informally.
June: E – Envision a brighter future.
July: T – Take a risk.
August: W – Watch and learn.
September: E – Engage with a mentor.
October: L – Listen patiently and actively.
November: V – Vary your routine.
December: E – Excel at being you by simply being yourself!
Start the year off with something fresh, follow that up with an appreciation of what your environment already offers and take advantage of opportunities as they arise. Look across your life and let go of what isn’t working, offer your help to others with your newly available time (remember you let go of what wasn’t working!) and picture where these efforts will take you. Put fear on hold and jump into something where the outcome may be uncertain but the act of trying itself feels rewarding, and pay attention to feedback, guidance, and advice from trusted family, friends and colleagues. End the year alert to options, alive to possibilities and aware of all that you are and can become.
Self-Discovery Tool #46
We found using a pattern of numbers and letters useful as we pondered the year ahead. What systems or frameworks might inspire you to forge a more meaningful life in 2012? How might tapping into them help you to make your self-discovery goals easier to organize and imagine and therefore easier to achieve? Mostly we’d most like to encourage you, not just as your final goal in December, but all year long to focus on living as the real you. Not only is this good for your overall wellbeing but no one else can fulfill this role but you and others may need the authentic “you” much more than you realize!
