The Most Effective New Years Ritual
The New Year rituals provokes many to reflect on the past 365 days progress, which almost certainty went by too quickly. And to also project what goals should be accomplished in the upcoming year. Many have goal setting rituals, vision board parties and maybe choose their annual “word”.
The intention for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year is there, but there’s one thing that can stand in the way of your future success and it’s… YOU.
In 2005, Rob and I were in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on New Years Eve when we created a NEW New Year ritual. We were having all these same conversations triggered by the flip of the calendar. After probably a few too many Caipirinhas, we got really honest with each other and had a hard conversation that would change our mindset of New Year’s forever. We uncovered the truth about our lack of success in certain areas of life and realized that the #1 thing standing in our way was the STORY we kept telling ourselves, and quite frankly, anyone that would listen about WHY we didn’t have something, what or WHO stopped us from accomplishing our goal or how a situation unfolded to block our success.
Were our stories of true and accurate? Yes, 100%. The problem wasn’t the story, the problem was the fact that we kept telling it, reliving it and not moving past it. There’s what happened and then there’s the STORY about what happened. The STORY puts you in victim mode. The telling of the STORY keeps you in a negative cycle of momentum. The STORY is bullshit.
In that moment we realized that the bullshit STORY needed to be left behind.
Here’s how our New Year ritual to leave the story behind works…
On New Year’s Eve/Day, we each answer this ONE question:
What STORY is no longer serving you and you are you leaving behind?
If you can’t think of you story, ask your partner or best friend to tell you, chances are you’ve told it 100x to them and (with love) they’re tired of hearing it.
Then, once you have your STORY, you agree to NEVER tell that story again and give the other person the power to gently remind you of your intention if you begin to repeat it. The truth is, once you acknowledge that this STORY is holding you back, you can’t look at it in the same way.
You can seal this New Year ritual with a symbolic gesture like a simple cheers with your favorite drink or writing the story and burning it in the fireplace. Get creative and have fun with it!
This New Years Ritual has truly changed our life. By releasing the stories that don’t serve us, we are able to focus on what we truly WANT in our life, and NOT attract more of what we don’t want.
So, the question is… what STORY are you leaving behind this year?
