“To take care of you, you must take care of future you.” 

These words were shared with me by a fellow Boss Babe, Pia Fleischmann Park. I have been fortunate to enter my studio and find an encouraging note on my desk from Pia many a time. This small act brings oodles of joy and energy to my soul and I hope to pass it on.

Pia taught me how to take care of others as well as how to take care of myself. A simple note of encouragement to yourself could make a big difference for a busy day or a big event. Furthermore, leaving yourself reminders, preparing for a future endeavor in advance, AND making time for reflection is form of self-care.
Imagine a time when you de-briefed after big project, an event you planned or after teaching a lesson to children. Most likely you thought about:
– what went well,
– what you didn’t plan for,
– what you might do differently next time,
– and what was so kick-ass that you must plan to continue in the future

How did you make sure you would remember what you discovered from the de-brief? Did you leave a note-to-self?
Consider how the simple act of leaving a note-to-self is an act of love. We can schedule notes-to-self through the schedule send option in Gmail (see illustrations later in this post). You can take care of future you by literally sending a note to yourself on an exact day and time, weeks, even years in the future. Yes, you will forget in the meantime, but that “hello there!” message will certainly be a treat when it arrives unexpectedly.

As we enter a new cycle and embark on this next trip around the sun, consider how self-reflection might support your personal growth.
What might you want to share about how you relate to CURRENT SELF?
What might you want FUTURE YOU to know a year from now? 

Join me in this playful public service art piece about “How to Care for Future You” using the Gmail schedule send option.

I visited two sites, The Art of Simple and Brands for the Heart for inspiring questions that provoke reflection. Below, I share a list of questions from these two sites that are great conversation starters and opportunities for personal growth. Remember, having conversations with yourself is a form of intelligence!
What are your favorite juicy questions?

REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS FOR THE PAST YEAR AND NEW YEAR

• What are you most grateful for about this past year?
• What made you feel purposeful this past year?
• What was the single greatest lesson of this past year and what did it teach you about yourself?
• What new qualities, skills, superpowers did you discover about yourself this past year?
• What was your most courageous action this year?
• What was your most selfless act this past year?
• What did you get absolutely clear on this year?
• What relationship most supported your growth this past year?
• In what way(s) did you grow spiritually?
• What do you want to get absolutely clear on for next year?
• What does success look like for you in the upcoming year and how might you need to redefine your definition of success?
• What single thing do you need to do this coming year to feel more productive and intentional around how you manage your time?
• What new relationships do you want to give more attention to in the upcoming year?
• What creative projects do you want to bring into the world this upcoming year?
• What is your single biggest challenge in making this next year off the charts successful in your eyes? What are you committed to doing to overcome this challenge?
• What 1-3 words best capture last year? What 1-3 words best capture your intention for the next year?
• What was the single most challenging thing that happened?
• What was an unexpected joy this past year?
• What was an unexpected obstacle? How did you work through it?
• Pick three words your partner or close friend would use to describe your year.
• What were the most memorable books you read/most memorable films you watched this year?
• Who were your most valuable relationships with?
• What was your biggest personal change from January to December of this past year?
• In what way(s) did you grow in your relationships with others?

Thank you for listening, friends! Best of luck on this next solar adventure.

You Got This,
MJ