The power of a wish list for the new year

Before the start of 2022, as part of a personal development course, I had to make a list of 30 things I wanted to achieve that year.

30? I asked myself. What on earth would I write down to reach that number? At first glance it seemed impossible.

But homework is homework, so I picked up a pencil and started writing. I soon realised it would be best to divide the list into categories: home and family, work, personal development and fun, friends. That is how I got to 30 wishes, without much difficulty.

I printed the list and put it in my planner so I could read it as often as possible and keep in mind what I had to do.

At the end of 2022, when I went back to the list to see what was still left undone, I was happy to find that I had managed to do more than half of what I had written down. True, not all 30 things are crossed off: some of them I have carried over to my list for 2023. But the fact that I achieved more than half (17, to be exact) convinced me that the success rate is much higher than if I had put only 2 or 3 things on my list.

What did I learn from the exercise?

• To have the courage to think about how I would like to shape my future in different areas of my life, instead of leaving things to chance.

• The more detailed the wishes, the clearer it was what I had to do to fulfil them.

• To remind myself throughout the year which things really matter to me and where I want to put my energy.

• To balance my energy (limited as it is) not only between family, friends and work, but also for myself and for what brings me joy.

How did I start 2023? With a new list! Drawing on last year’s experience, I kept it at 30 things, but this time I divided them into different categories:

Mind, body, relationships, family, me, work and finances.

Among the main themes on my mind for 2023, I wrote down:

• How to cultivate a way of thinking that is more focused on gratitude and on the things that make me proud of myself

• Giving love to the people close to me

• Practising patience in conversations with others

• Taking a cooking class

• Keeping my family and friends close

• Being as aware as possible of my energy level and keeping it in balance

…

Putting your wishes down on paper is a more powerful exercise than I thought. Because yes, it is important to know what we do NOT want in our lives (stress, fears, loneliness, routine, unhealthy relationships…), but it is just as important to train our minds towards what we want more of. What way of thinking is healthy? What kind of relationships do we want to cultivate? That way we can direct our actions towards these wishes and give ourselves a chance to make them come true.

Let us never underestimate the power of a vision! And what is a list of resolutions, if not a vision of what we want for the new year?

I wish you every success too, not just in writing a list, but above all in making it happen!