On January first of every year my husband and I have a ritual we do. We get up and watch the sunrise as witnessing the first sunrise for the year feels like a really good omen to us. Then for the rest of the day we reflect on the past year, and we celebrate our achievements and what we learned. We then get crystal clear on what we want to manifest and achieve for the year to come.

When goal setting it’s very easy to skip over the reflection side of things but reflection is a super-important piece of the puzzle because it allows us to re-align, tune in and ponder on our truth. So before we zoom ahead to setting heart-centered goals and manifesting for the future, it’s imperative to begin by looking behind us. It’s all too easy to want to sprint through to the end of the year without stopping and taking a moment to acknowledge the year that’s been, all that you have achieved, and all the growth that’s taken place. In fact, I’ve heard a lot of people say they can’t wait for this year to be over, or that this year was their worst year yet. Now sure, I understand you may have had a challenging year — but it’s all perfect. Everything always is! Everything is always unfolding the way it’s supposed to. So, before you write this year off as a total shit sandwich, please take a moment to reflect back… you may be pleasantly surprised.

So, my sweet friend — boil the kettle, whip out your journal, light a candle, or lay on your favourite rug outside and answer these questions with a open wide heart, mind and soul, because we’re about to celebrate the year that’s just been.

Reflect

• During the more challenging times during 2017, how did you show up? Are you happy with how you showed up or could you have shown up differently
• Did you step outside your comfort zone? If yes, when? How did that make you feel? What did you learn during the process?
• Did you love with your whole heart?
• Were you fully present? If no, why not? Where could you have been more present?
• Were you kind? Could you have been kinder?
• How much did you love? Could you have loved more?
• How did you serve overs?
• Where did any old limiting Mean Girl fears or beliefs pop up?
• What do you want to let go of? For example, an old limiting belief, a job, a person, a situation, a pattern, a painful memory, resentment, hurt or a behavior you are still holding onto?
• What would you like to stop doing from last year?

Celebrate

• What did you birth or create in 2017?
• What were the 3 best things that happened in 2017?
• What have you achieved or what are you most proud of?
• What have you learned?
• What have been your top 3 biggest realizations/lessons?
• How have you grown?
• Describe 2017 in 3 words?
• What are you most grateful for from this year?

You still with me, sista? Great!

Now that we have reflected on the year that’s past, it’s time to ponder on the year ahead. Before we do that, it’s super important to do a little ceremony to clean the slate and lay a fresh foundation for your dreams to manifest. You can do that by performing a sage cleansing ritual around yourself, home and office. I highly recommend doing this at least once a year to clear the stagnant energy.  

Remember, you have the ability to manifest and create whatever your heart desires in the new year… but it ain’t going to happen by just sitting back and wishing it to manifest! You gotta take inspired action daily, sista!

It’s now time to let go of the past and ponder on the future. Close your eyes for a moment and think about the year to come. Once you have pondered for a few minutes, open your eyes and answer the below questions. You could even do one of my Mastering Your Mean Girl Meditations to help you get in the zone.

Create

It’s super important that when you are setting goals that they tick the following criteria…

• They must be heart-centered.
• They must inspire you and give you goosebumps.
• They must be true for you and not something you ‘think’ you ‘should’ do or achieve due to someone else’s agenda.
• You must use inspiring dialogue, ‘lose weight’ is not as inspiring as ‘wake up feeling healthy, strong and vital’. Same with ‘quit sugar’. Try something like, ‘treat my body like the temple it is and only nourish it with the highest vibrational food mother nature has to offer’.
• They must make your heart sing. If your goals don’t give you butterflies and excite the bejesus out of you then they aren’t right.
• They mustn’t overwhelm and stress you out.You must be crystal clear and super specific. ‘Find happiness’, or ‘find love’ and not specific enough. Try something like, ‘to remember that I am love and to feel that within myself daily’. Or ‘to wake up feeling inner happiness and peace daily’.

[Please note that if fear pops up and you get nervous in your tummy when setting your goals, this is a good sign. It means you’re on the right path.]

No amount of sitting back and wishing will make your dreams manifest. You have to take daily inspired action.

Ok, keeping the above in mind let’s set your 2018 goals.

1. What are 5 words to best describe how you want to feel in 2018? For example: strong, connected, vital, balanced, calm, present, healthy, bursting with love, grounded, expansive, focused, glow-y, abundant etc.
2. What are 1-3 health goals you would like to achieve?
3. What are 1-3 career goals you would like to achieve?
4. What are 1-3 financial goals you would like to achieve?
5. What are 1-3 self-love goals you would like to achieve?
6. What are 1-3 relationship goals you would like to achieve?
7. Do you want to travel this year? If yes, where do you want to go? Be as specific as possible. For example, I would love to travel to the Greek islands in July 2018 for 3 weeks with my husband to experience all the magic that place has to offer.
8. What are 2-3 hobbies that you would like to explore and make more time for next year?
9. What will you commit to not doing in 2018?
10. What will you make more time for?
11. How do you want to do things differently next year?
12. Create your 2018 Self Love Menu. What are 10 things you can add to your self-love menu to fill yourself up daily?
13. What does your ideal morning routine look like? Be as specific as possible.
14. What does your ideal day look like?
15. What does your self-loving nighttime ritual look like?
16. How can you give more to yourself next year? What would that look like specifically?
17. What is one word you want to describe 2018?

Now close your eyes and think about 2018. See it, feel it, experience it like it’s already happened. Use your imagination and let it play out. See yourself achieving your goals and manifesting your heart’s desires. What does that feel like? Who is around you? Take 10 more minutes or so to really allow yourself to future-trip here. Smile as you see yourself kicking goals, being surrounded by loved ones, and achieving what it is you want. High five yourself in your mind, and when you have finished your visualization, move on to the next step…

Create Your 2018 Affirmations

This is where you come up with 3 powerful statements that you will write out and stick around your house and office so that you can see them when times feel challenging and hard. For example…

Everything is unfolding exactly the way it’s supposed to.

This too shall pass.

I create my own reality; if I don’t like what I have created I can create again.

I am the one in the driver’s seat, I am responsible for my life and happiness.

I am responsible for creating my happiness and joy.

Letter To Your Future Self

Zoom ahead to December 31st 2018 and write a letter to yourself about all that has happened in 2018 and all that you have achieved. Start it off with something like this…

Dear Melissa,

WOW!!!!! 2018 has been another epic year! Mastering Your Mean Girl and Open Wide became New York Times Bestsellers, which means you have reached your goal of inspiring hundreds of thousands of women all over the world. Well done, sista! Etc etc…

This is not to be rushed so please take your time with this. Once you have finished pop it in an envelope, seal it, write your name on it and put it somewhere you won’t lose it. My hubby and I do this every year and love reading what we wrote out to each other on the 1st of January. It’s so insightful, heartwarming and actually quite mind-blowing!

Most importantly, have fun with this. Because if it ain’t fun it ain’t worth it, sista!

As always, thank you so much for being here. Everything I do and create is with the utmost love and intention to serve you and your evolution. Thank you for those who have been avid MA followers since the beginning and welcome to those who are new to the MA Tribe, we are honored to have you.

I have so many fun and exciting things planned for 2018 to support you even further… I will be going on tour for my Open Wide Tour with my husband around Australia, continuing to bring you the best podcast I possibly can, plus so much more we will be revealed soon because I can’t wait to share it all with you.

Stay in touch over the holidays on social media. I will mostly be hanging out on Instagram if you wanna come join the fun and I hope to meet you in person at our Open Wide Tour.

I am sending you and your family so much love.