A new year holds promise, and it’s worth taking time to consider how you want to show up in the world. This is an opportunity to set an intention to be the person you really want to be, to embrace your vision of yourself at your best, and to develop the qualities that will take you there.

Who do you want to be?

It can take courage to be who you really are.
Building courage means responding despite self-doubt, misgivings and fear. It may require taking action even though you are scared, and the more often you bravely take action, the more you train your bravery, and you grow to trust that you can do it.

Looking back, I can recall brave actions required to change my career, even posting a blog such as this. Many actions no longer strike such fear and have been replaced with a quiet kind of confidence that has seeped across into other areas of my life. I have found that often in doing things just outside my comfort zone, that is where is the gold is – where I gain progress and success. Taking courage has also prepared me for the life events and challenges that I have had to get through. While self-doubt and fear still turn up from time to time, my experiences have helped me to become stronger, and more resilient, and better able to live life on my terms.

We all have a unique value and gifts we can share with the world. Figure out what yours are, and how you might make a contribution or service to others. Many women I talk to have self -doubt and believe they may not have what it takes. I’m here to tell say, you are enough, – believe in yourself, and connect with what you want your life to stand for and the impact you want to make on those around you – your loved ones, work colleagues and anyone you may encounter in your life.
Be willing to back yourself, stand up for what you want, and speak your truth. Take a risk, make the change you really want, move away from what is no longer serving you, and design a life you desire.

Dare to think big, design the life you want, create a vision for what you want life to look like and feel like, and live life on your terms. Be bold, take opportunities that will help you get there, and ask for what you need. Align with your values, let them be your guiding stars, they will help you to make the brave decisions and to take the courageous actions toward living your vision.

Be willing to make mistakes, it’s from your failures that you grow, learn, and succeed.

Step through your fears. When you step right through the heart of your fear, you will strengthen your belief in yourself and your courage. Find one idea that feels right and take action on that. Keep following the right feeling and see where it takes you. Acting bravely in small ways, grows our courage, and trains our brave. It will help if you take tiny steps toward what you want. Break the big step down, break it in half and half again, until you think I can do that, and then do it! One tiny, turtle step after another you will move toward what you want, you will grow in confidence and you will gain momentum.

Who is the authentic you?

Focus in on the person you naturally want to be, and how you would turn up each day. How will she feel, how will she act toward herself and toward others? How will she live her values? Try her on like a new dress – go out and be her for a morning. How will she bring her vision to life? What will she enjoy to do – this authentic courageous new you?

Life is not about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.
George Bernard Shaw

Appreciate that you are unique and special, speak to yourself kindly, affirm who you are and what you want, do the things you love, care for yourself – sometimes that means doing the hard things, nurture your resilience daily – courage calls for it, trust your inner guidance – your intuition, without comparison to others, without minding what others may think, and trust that everything you do along the journey contributes to where you are going.

Decide who you want to be, and set an intent to make 2023 a fabulous and fulfilling year.

Your time is limited,
So don’t waste it living someone else’s life.
Steve Jobs