Happy New Year, my friends! I hope you enjoyed the holidays as much as I did! As we begin the new year, I am going to share with you something I have found revolutionary in my life and encourage you to consider doing the same: Start 2025 by taking a break. I have been in practice for almost 30 years, and some of the most fulfilling years of my life, and in my practice, have been those during which I have taken time to reflect, renew, and reengage.
Consider my approach
Take at least four days and leave town, bring a fresh notebook and a fun pen, and don’t plan anything other than going out to dinner to celebrate the end of each day. You’ll need the first day to get to your destination, the second and third to rest, and the fourth to return home. I would encourage you to choose a location where no one knows you, so you can focus on yourself.
Start each day with gratitude
Take that fresh notebook and fun pen and write at least five things you are grateful for. Starting the day with gratitude puts your mind in the right place to walk through the rest of this journey.
Evaluate 2024
Next, write the good and bad moments that made the most impact on you. For each of those moments, analyze and record why they stood out. What details made the most impact? Who was a part of the moment? Look at each good moment and think about what you can do to repeat them in 2025 and/or create new ones like them. Look at the bad moments and write what you learned from them and how you have already turned them into good.
Keep in mind that there may be a moment you may not be ready or able to walk through without the help of a trained professional. If you get stuck in a bad moment, stop and stick with the good ones until you get home and can walk through the bad with help.
Make a plan
Now, revisit your list of moments, and write what you want to continue and eliminate from them. Maybe you want to continue providing staff with two floating holidays, as doing so resulted in enhanced morale. Maybe you want to eliminate last year’s office hours and replace them with new ones to give you more time for administrative work.
My experience
The first time my husband, David, and I went on a planning retreat, I was blown away by how much of a difference it made in my life. I would argue that most of us never slow down enough to think. I am always reminded during my time away that I am blessed by the moments I experienced in the previous year, both good and bad. If you can spend some days getting these moments on paper, then you can live the upcoming year in a better place and space. OM
Email: april.jasper@conexiant.com
X: @DrAprilJasper
Facebook: @OptometricManagement
