Ahead of New Year 2020, I created a workbook for my subscribers, encouraging them to create their 2020 vision. I loved the idea that we could apply 2020 vision to our lives and get clarity on our hopes and desires. Then a global pandemic hit and derailed many of our plans. But now we can begin again.

The phrase ‘2021 vision’ may not trip off the tongue like ‘2020 vision’ but the New Year offers us all an opportunity to connect with our hearts, to tune in to our intuition and to decide where we’d like to place our focus over the next 12 months.

Before we look forwards, though, let’s learn from the past, because that is how we grow.

At this point, it’s important to forgive yourself for any mistakes you believe you made last year or for not achieving your dreams or goals. Self-compassion and kindness are key. Be gentle with yourself and appreciate and celebrate yourself for all that you are and all that you have done. From this place of self-acceptance, we can get excited about the blank canvas we have in front of us.

So, what are your heart’s desires for 2021? Are you in touch with them? If your heart could speak, what would it say?

In order to connect with my heart’s desires, I find it helpful to still my mind, to meditate, journal or pray. I also like to place my hand over my heart and to invite my heart to speak to me.

I’m searching for my truth here – not the things I feel I ought to do but the things I long to do. I’m connecting with my authentic, courageous self – not the woman who’s afraid.

While in this still place, you might want to choose a word or two for 2021 to signal your priorities. Your word might be love or it might be health, wellbeing, family, creativity or something else entirely. Write this word on paper in big letters and pin it up in a place you’ll see it daily, or slip it into your purse or wallet.

Then, when faced with choices or when stood at a crossroads, glance at that word or words and ask yourself which choice or path would be in accordance with the deepest desires of your heart and in line with your authentic self. You might also want to think about doing a creative exercise, perhaps compiling a vision board for 2021 using images from magazines or sketching a picture of your dream year with coloured pens. I find creativity helps me to connect to my truth. You could create a vision board for your life in general, or specifically for the relationship you’d like to have or the career you would like to build, knowing that everything is connected.

My own journey to love and marriage taught me how important it is to feel content in other areas of my life in order for a relationship to work, and I see this with my coaching clients all the time.

Once you have some clarity on your priorities for the year, it’s time to identify the steps that will help you to build your dream life or to find that relationship you’ve always longed for. Sometimes our goals seem beyond our reach, but if we break them down into manageable steps and start taking small but consistent actions, we will soon see progress.

I’ve noticed this in my writing. I knew one of the desires of my heart was to write a novel, but I had no idea how to tackle such an enormous project. But then I sat down to write a few days a week and now I’m well on my way.

The same goes for your dream. If you would like to find a relationship, what small steps could you take at the start of this year? Is it time to refresh your dating profile, or to invest in some new photographs? Is it time to ask a friend to review your profile or to let people in your circles know that you are looking for love? Or is it time to take up a new hobby or sign up to a class, even if it is online for now? Making our heart sing is often the best thing we can do to improve our chances of finding love.

On a deeper level, are you aware that you have some emotional blocks that are standing in the way of you having a healthy relationship? If so, is it time to explore those blocks? Is it time to seek support so that you can remove them? If any of the above suggestions feel onerous, uncomfortable or frightening, please know that’s a good thing. In order to make significant changes in our lives, many of us need to stretch ourselves a little, challenge our fears and step out of our comfort zones.

I have repeatedly done this over the last 20 years of my personal development journey and I will continue to do it in 2021 and beyond, because I know the rewards are incredible and well worth those moments of discomfort. I wish you a wonderful New Year.

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