your abundant year 2016 · your abundant year. september 2015 shawn fink ... much love and...

© September 2015 Shawn Fink | http://abundantmama.com

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2016Your Abundant Year


Dear Wonderful You —

This is a simple workbook. Your reflections and answers are

a blueprint that can change — that will change — over the

course of the next year. But, consider it a running start for

your own Abundant Mama journey.

This guide has two goals. Part 1, which is this one, will help

you cherish the awesome mama journey you experienced in

2015. And, Part 2, which you will receive in two days, will

help you plan for an even more awesome 2016. We’re not

setting any major goals here. We’re not trying to lose 20

pounds. We’re just trying to appreciate and embrace the life

we have already.

Here’s how to use this guide — Grab a nice cup of hot tea or

coffee. Snuggle up in your coziest pajamas. Grab a few of

your favorite colorful pens. And let the words and questions

wash over you. Fill out the answers, leaving room for new

ideas that may spark in the middle of the night or during a

diaper change or as you are walking your child into school.

And may 2016 be the absolute best one yet for you and yours!

Much love and abundance,

Shawn


MY 2015 Reflection JouRnAl

the Year of ______

Every year since 2000, I can honestly look back and see a common theme. Around 2006, I started naming my

years. My years have gone a lot like this: Year of A New Town, Year of Dan (my husband now), Year of Being

Engaged, Year of being a Newlywed, Year of Infertility, Year of Twins!, Year of First Year Darkness and Beauty,

Year of Blogging,

This list goes on. This year, I am already thinking of naming 2015 the Year of Liberation since I quit working

full-time to create my own business and be a full-time mother.

Your first activity to do in this course is to give 2015 a name.

2015 has been the Year of ______________ {fill in the blank} for me.

*gratitude*

Every year brings good things as well as struggles. This is life as mothers and raising children. Our lives

are messy and imperfect and wonderful. And while there may be many, many things we wish to change or

improve upon for next year, there are many things we need to really respect about what happened this year,

especially since all of it is a part of our story. So, before we move into the what we can look forward to in

2014, let’s think about all that we are grateful for about our past year.

i am most grateful for the following in 2015:


one MomentThink back on your entire year, month by month. Think about all that you did, all that you accomplished. What sticks out

as memorable? What moments made you feel proud or extremely happy?

mY favorite moment from this Year was the following:

My Bravest MomentThink about a time during this year that really stands out as a moment when you felt brave. You might have been scared

out of your mind but you did it anyway, you put one foot in front of the other and took a step in a direction you never

thought you would. Think about why it was so brave and what strength you had inside of YOU to make it happen. Are you

glad you took that bold step? If you can’t think of anything, reflect on a time when you should have been brave.

mY bravest moment in 2015 was absolutelY:


When i let goWe hang on to so much. Clutter. Dreams. Getting angry. Dinner battles. Bad relationships. Letting go of some of those

things that bring us negative emotions is almost always the best medicine for a rough week.

i am happY that i let go of

mY biggest parenting challenge in 2015:

forgiving myselfNot everything was perfect. I made some mistakes. I said things I shouldn’t have. I yelled too much. I wasn’t intimate

enough. I didn’t reach out like I wanted to save that friendship. I was too distracted by my phone. I didn’t ask for help.

It’s time to forgive.

i forgive mYself for

and, i forgive mYself because


the ReleaseJust as ringing in the New Year is an important milestone in our year, so should releasing the current

year. Releasing our mistakes. Our disappointments. Our challenges. Our worries. Our fears.

For a few minutes, write down one word/phrase that represents one thing from 2015 that you’d like to

release and let go of so that you can move forward. Write it on a piece of paper or a leaf if you plan to

release it into a natural environment.

Your word or phrase might be a word that represents a feeling. It might be a name of someone who has

brought you discomfort. It might be a mistake you made that you can’t seem to let go. It might even be a

challenging moment that needs to be released in order for you to begin again.

Consider taking your note or leaf to a sacred spot and sitting with it and reflecting on it for just a minute

before releasing it.

here are some ideas of what to do with Your slip of paper:

✺ Write it on a leaf. Float it down a creek.

✺ Write it in chalk on your sidewalk the night before a rain.

✺ Toss it in a fireplace.

✺ Mail it to a friend and have her do the same.

✺ Leave it out to disappear in the rain.

✺ Leave it in a book in the library.

✺ Write it on a post it and leave the note in a store.

✺ Write it on a seashell and release it into the ocean or river.

✺ Bury your paper in the ground, marking the area with a stone, if you wish.

✺ Tear a leaf into pieces and release into the wind.

✺ Put it into a special box where you will keep future years’ slips of papers.

✺ If all else fails, tear it up and Flush it!


Dear Wonderful You —

Now that we’ve reflected on the current year. Let’s dive right into

working on our hope journal for 2016.

What is a hope journal?

It’s where you write down and profess your dreams, your goals and

your intentions for the new year.

Does it mean it all has to happen?

No way.

But, if you don’t write them down, if you don’t give them a space or

a place of their own in your life, they may never actually happen.

And I’m a big fan of making dreams come true.

Much love and abundance,

Shawn


A wordstormOften, you’ll read about many people -- bloggers, especially -- choosing a single word that represents what they want to

manifest in their New Year. Words like Motivated or Hopeful always seem to pop up. Feel free to pick a word as well but for

this lesson, we’re just going to do one of my favorite activities. A wordstorm.

the words that best describe the 2016 i want to have are the following:

circle the words that stand out and choose one.

write it reallY big right here

*predict the future*

“If you don’t imagine, nothing ever happens at all,” wrote Author John Green. And, I am likely to agree. Envisioning what

we want most is the second best way to achieve it. But, the best way is to write it all down and keep it.

as if You are in Your ideal Year right now, describe what You hope 2016 will be like for You as a mama and a woman:

MY 2016 Hope JouRnAl


A hopeWe all want to change things about ourselves. That’s called being human. If you are trying to be a better mother, a better

wife, or love yourself more, this is the place to reflect on that and really consider what that change would mean for you.

the one thing i want to be better at in 2016:

courageous, Me

You have dreams. Big dreams. Which one will you go after this year?

mY bravest moment in 2016 will be:


My parenting legacyAs a mama, you have thought so much about the parent you want to be. For today, surrender to all of it and start where

you are right this second. Let all of the mistakes and lessons learned in the past go and just consider for a minute one

simple vision you have for what kind of parent you will be this year.

i want mY children to remember that i was a mother who:

mY biggest parenting goal in 2016:

A nourished mamaTaking care of ourselves seems to always sound good but we can’t seem to find time for it. This year will be different,

right?! Sometimes, it’s as simple as picking one thing that makes us feel really nourished and doing that as often as possible.

i will feel more nourished when i make time for _________________________________ in 2016.


three things.Writing lists can be a great way to plan, to let out negative feelings or to find hope in a challenging time in your life.

I often have multiple lists running at the same time because adding to them makes me feel good. They are my happy lists.

Here are a few happy lists to get you thinking about 2016.

make a list of all the things You’d like to create space for this Year:

make a list of how You will be kinder to Yourself in 2016:

make a list of the fun things You can do to improve Your marriage/relationships in 2016:

make a list of what You need more of in 2016:


About Shawn fink

Shawn Fink has been called the Yoda

of Mamas. She is a family wellness

coach and founder of The Abundant

Mama Project. She is also the author

of The Abundant Mama’s Guide to

Savoring Slow and The Playful Fam-

ily. She recently created the program

Rise and Shine, a 10-Day Challenge

to help you sleep more, rise early

and take care of yourself before your

world wakes.

your abundant year 2016 · your abundant year. september 2015 shawn fink ... much love and...

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