As a special thank you for your readership and amazing support this year I want to give you a gift. Here’s what I made for you:

The Story of Your Year

A guided reflection for 2016

“The Story of Your Year” is a guided reflection to help you process all that’s happened in 2016, and give you space to think about the year ahead. This is the same process that I personally use, and I’m so delighted to share it with you.

Reflection has changed my life in so many ways. On a nearly daily basis, I make time to journal. Usually, this happens in the morning. Some days I don’t get around to it, but that’s okay. I try to let myself off the hook and try to let go of the misguided belief that it’s only effective if I do it daily. Discipline is not what makes reflection effective. The process is what matters.

It was over 4 years ago when I was journaling and realized that I desired something different for my life. I didn’t want to work for an organization. I wanted more freedom and flexibility in my life, and when I reflected on this I realized that I wanted to work for myself.

More recently, reflection has helped me come into further alignment with what I really want to do in my career. That is to help people experience their power by telling their stories. In some ways, I think that’s an extension of my own experiences with journaling.

One of the greatest things that journaling and reflection has brought into my life has been that it’s helped me become a stronger writer. By taking the time to connect with myself and my thoughts, I have found threads of inspiration for writing professionally as well as autobiographically.

Dear friends, I hope you enjoy using “The Story of Your Year.”

I would love hear about your experiences using this guided reflection. I invited you to share your stories here in the comments, or to send me an email – vanessa@thestorytellingnonprofit.com