How do you measure, measure a year?

“How do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets
In midnights, in cups of coffee
In inches, in miles
In laughter, in strife…
How about love?
”

— From the song ‘Seasons of Love’, in the Musical ‘Rent’

If you follow any of my socials channels, then you’ll probably already know that I’m a fan (okay, superfan) of musical theatre. At this time of year, I’m often reminded of one of my favourite songs from the musical Rent, called ‘Seasons of Love’, which asks, “How do you measure, measure a year?”, and suggests “How about in moments of love?” 

I don’t believe in making New Year’s resolutions (why beat ourselves up about what hasn’t gone right, or what we wish we’d done better?), but I do believe in setting a theme, or intention for the year ahead. And my theme for 2023 has been ‘love’. Not the romantic kind, I just mean I have tried to focus on being more intentional about showing - and receiving - love in my life. For me, this has meant that I’ve approached everything in my life - ranging from my relationships with family and friends, to the client work I’ve engaged in - from a place of love. 

If, like me, you’ll be taking some time to reflect on the end of 2023, then why not start by asking yourself how you measure, measure a year? Where has love shown up for you? Where have you brought the gift of love to others? What have been the highlights, magical moments, and what are you willing to release and not take with you into the new year? Letting go of what hasn’t worked will help you to bring more intentionality into the year ahead, embrace the change and only take forward what you choose.

For me, 2023 has been one of the biggest years of my life. There was the launch of Untangled, being invited to join the Transformational Leadership Council, growing the business, doing incredible work with phenomenal clients, and getting my daughter settled into university, not to mention riding the waves of some other, less welcome, change. There have also been some areas which I’ve neglected and I’m looking forward to resetting the compass, which I’ll do when the time is right. 

And don’t forget, Untangled and its companion journal are a great resource for anyone looking to create change in their life in the coming year.