It’s hard to believe that we are in the last month of 2016. I think back to the beginning of the year when I had a brand new year ahead of me with blank pages upon which I would write daily with my choices and doings. Am I where I wanted to be? Have I done what I wanted to do? Have I been what I wanted to be in 2016? So, I take time to ponder these questions and reflect upon the last 12 months. These reflections will help me determine what I set forth to do on January 1st. I know that I have taken on new things which has caused me to neglect other things that I felt were important to me. So, for 2017 I know that I need to think about the impact of taking on new things and what it will do to what is currently on my plate. Yes, it can be good to take on new things and new opportunities; however, I think that if I add something new than I need to subtract something away. It’s the process of continually growing and transforming.
One of the things that has helped me was the practicum coaching that I had to do as part of my online education at MUIH for my master’s in health and wellness coaching. I was coached by a fellow student in my program; and even though it was a practicum, it was so helpful and beneficial to me as an individual. I had some areas I felt stuck in and that is what I brought to the coaching sessions so I could be coached. As my coach would ask powerful questions and utilize coaching resources during the sessions, I was able to have clarity and experience some “aha” moments as she coached me through the sessions. This experience was also valuable to me as a coach to understand how it feels to be in a coaching situation as the client. It allowed me to see the value of having a coach to help discover the answers that already lie inside us and how having another person on our journey towards goals can be so helpful.
As I prepare for the new year, I’ve decided that I’m going to take advantage of the last 23 days of this year and finish strong by choosing daily to make choices to meet my goals. My word for 2016 was, “execute” – I chose that word because I knew what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go so all I had to decide was to just do it. So, from now until the end of the year I will just do it – I will be present, I will make time to be with friends, I will celebrate life, I will be confident in what I do and who I am, I will learn and teach Strong by Zumba, I will run my one mile every day, I will limit my sugar consumption, I will journal, I will have my quiet time, I will practice gratitude. You see…it’s not how you start, but it’s how you finish that matters! So, I will finish strong!
Angela Prather 
Leave a Reply