New Years Eve, time to dream big, to try and glimpse into the future about what the next year may hold. It’s an opportunity to clear the slate, even though you can choose to do that in any moment and don’t need to wait for the new year. But it’s the universal fresh start, where everyone is looking into the new year with new goals, new intentions, and egar to take it on.

I don’t tend to set resolutions, I set an intention every year... one big theme for the year that I shape my decisions around. It’s the frame work for the next twelve months, but it’s flexible, it moves with life as things happen in real time, there’s no failing an intention. It’s just an idea, a feeling, a vision of what you want your year to be about, to feel like for you, it’s a reminder when things aren’t going to plan to pull back and access based on what you wanted for yourself.

I take things one step further though, naturally, and I work with in the energy of what is going on in my year. I look at my personal year in numerology, and this year is my personal year 2, I look at what’s going on for me on the astrology front, and I don’t mean horoscopes. When I look at astrology I look at what planets are in my houses when, what energy and shift does that bring, what’s the over all theme of the year. And then finally I do a personal tarot card reading for the next year to try and see what my intuition pulls as energy for me this year.

None of this though is written in stone. It’s truly just a way to tap into my own intuition, it’s a chance to tap into the energy of the next year... and then from there I set my intention. I work with what energies are around me, what energy I am bringing to the year.

No matter the energy, there is always free will, you always have a choice, I personally just find it easier to work with the energy to create and manifest rather than work against it. I try and look at how I can harness the energy at different times to help move through my intention in different ways. It’s about being fluid, being in the flow, and co creating with the world around you rather than in your silo alone.

In addition to setting a theme, an intention, I also choose a few words to carry with me through the year. These words can come into play at any time and merely offer a sub category if you will of my intention for the year.

So what is my intention this year? My intention for this year is to embrace what is in front of me and find the joy, playfulness, and fun of it all. My words/phrases for the year: slow down, be fluid, lean in, magic.

If you have any questions about what I’ve mentioned above as far as numerology, astrology, or tarot I’m happy to share and point you to some great resources, just leave a comment below.

What is your intention for 2019? What is it that you want for yourself this year?

Right on time, once again, it’s time to take several moments to reflect on this past year, to take the extra time to find closure, to let go, to just soak it all in.

Traditionally I’ve always looked at the highs of each year, the pivotal moments, the big stand out events, but this year I feel called to scrutinize a little more. I’m feeling called to pull off the rose colored glasses and to take a real, honest, raw look at this past year. Looking at who I was and the roles I’ve played in a slew of different relationships and situations, I’m feeling called to really examine who I was in comparison to who I want to be.

There were so many incredibly amazing moments this year... my relationship has been stronger than it has ever been. My relationship with both my parents has evolved to new places and met new boundaries and dynamics with ease I could have never imagined. I took a risk and left a job I was complacent at and moved away from the life I loved and enjoyed so much. These are all important moments and milestones, and I'm grateful for them, but what about the other parts, the day to day... the shadows to these shining highlights.

There is always a yin to a yang, a dark to a light, a high and a low, but that isn’t inherently bad, it’s just a chance to reflect, to look at what opportunities you still have, to humble yourself enough so that you give yourself the opportunity and the space to level up.

This year I lost touch with any sense of true creativity, of romance, of playfulness and of whimsicality. I was to the point, blunt, direct, and did the work to be where I needed to be, and it paid off, but it came with a price... I allowed this past year, my personal year one in numerology to be about my masculine energy, the no nonsense, the no bullshit, the cut to the chase attitude, but it very quickly became the way I moved through life this year.

Ninety percent of the time I felt "on"... I was teaching and working so much that as a person I felt a bit robotic, a bit disconnected, a bit out of touch with my softer, more feminine side. I couldn't find it in my to pick up my camera, writing felt like too much work, and even with the best laid plans I would find myself creatively blocked.

There where moments that felt like I was walking a fine line between direct and cynical, always just teetering on the edge of no longer keeping it real but being jaded. I had done a total 180 from the prior year of spiritual exploration, expansion, rainbows, and unicorns.

I've needed this year, but it's brought to light a lot of concerns, a lot of things I've let go unchecked, that I've let swing out of balance all in the name of setting my self up for what lies ahead. I need to be honest with myself and acknowledge that there are things that need to be reshuffled, that need a closer look, there are beliefs and mindsets that fit for this last part of the journey of getting me to where I am, but now need to be returned back to the world because they don't serve me in this next phase.

As I start to think about 2019, about my year two, about where I want to go and who I want to be I see so much space for me take myself down a few pegs, to be more free, more flowing, more playful. I need to take life a little less seriously. I needed 2018 to push out the things in my life that were no longer for me. I needed 2018 to challenge me to reconstruct my life for what I wanted for myself. I needed 2018 to force me to let go of people, places, and things that no longer helped me grow, that no longer served me, that no longer resonated with who I was becoming. I needed 2018 to require me to get clear, to be direct in what I wanted, to carve out the rough edges of what I wanted for myself.

I needed to gear up, to put on the armor, and remove and evaluate what I no longer needed in my life... Now I'm ready to shed the battle armor with the self awareness that I've let it become my every day wear. I've spent this year tirelessly manifesting, cleaning up, and making the space for myself and what is yet to come. I'm ready for 2019, I'm ready to shed the layers, kick off my shoes, find my flower crown, and spend the year dancing and playing. I'm taking 2019 to find the magic again, to fall back in love with the tiniest most intimate honest moments of life, and to seek out the joy in every day.

I'm taking the opportunity in these final days of 2018 to deeply examine what triggers my ego, to look at what makes me puff my chest in competition rather than lend a hand in support. I've cleared the path in 2018, it's time to let go of the final monsters... the dragons have been slayed and it's time to journey home and take note of the lessons learned. There are no other paths that need to be cleared right now, it's time to feast in the space and life I've created. I've cleared the path and laid the foundation and now I'm ready and open to receive what is seeking me this upcoming year with peace, laughter, an open heart, and a playful spirit.