The impending New Year offers opportunity for reflection and growth. While you continue on your intuitive eating journey, now is as good a time as ever to reflect and plan ahead. Take the time to celebrate all of your accomplishments of this past year and envision your future accomplishments in the upcoming year.

Step 1: Reflection and Change

Take a moment to think about what actions, behaviors and beliefs have worked for you this past year. What have you been doing that has helped you achieve your goals? How are you different than you were a year ago? While you sit and think, let me ask you a question: is there something in your life that you would like to change? Perhaps you’d like to engage in more self-care, improve your eating behaviors or finally put an end to emotional eating. There is always room for improvement. Write these things down. Write in detail how you plan to go about changing these situations to make your life a more fulfilling one this 2016.

Step 2: Reflection and Letting Go

While you concentrate on the things you would like to change, you probably realize there are some things that you don’t have the power to change. There are just some things you do not have control over. These things that burden your mind and your body are feelings that are better left in 2015. My friend and colleague, Dr. Mary, says “you cannot plant your garden in last year’s soil”.

You will not grow if you do not make changes. Relieve your mind of all of the built-up stress, frustration and anger from the lack of control over certain people or situations. Allow yourself to release what is holding you back and allow the activation of a happier, healthier you. Before you embark on change, hold a release ceremony for the things that you are leaving behind. Write them on a piece of paper, then burn it or shred it while repeating “I am letting you go.”

Step 3: Envision the Future

Now it’s time to look ahead. What do you want your 2016 to look like? The New Year is an open book with 365 blank pages. Conceptualize how this year will go month-by-month. Write down your goals and step-by-step plans to make 2016 an exciting and fulfilling year. What you need to remember is not to be limited by fear of change. Life does not get better by chance, it gets better by change.

Your turn to take action: Think about these questions, and answer in the comment section below:

1. What do you want to change about your eating and health habits in 2016?
2. What do you need to let go of that is holding you back, that you know you cannot change?
3. What do you want your 2016 to look like?