Create the best 2012 possible by answering this one question

This is the one (and maybe only!) time of year that most of us look toward the future. We think about the new year as we ponder what we did and didn't do in the current year. We have fun creating and sharing our New Year's resolutions. For a week or so, our collective energy is spent looking toward the future. But sometimes the best way to plan tomorrow is by looking at what happened yesterday.

One of the strategies in Solution Focused Brief Therapy is to have the client imagine they are walking out the therapist's door for the last time, and then asking them what had to have happened for them to know their therapy was as a success. By shifting the client into the future and reporting what has already happened, it is easier for the client to experience the changes and to avoid skepticism about what is possible to achieve.

Read: Why Most New Year's Resolutions Are Guaranteed to Fail

In borrowing from Solution Focused Therapy, my question to you is:

Imagine you wake up on December 31, 2012. The sun pours in through your bedroom window. You have an inner sense of calmness and happiness. Your smile grows wider and wider as your feet touch the ground. You stretch your hands to the ceiling and breathe a deep and full breath of air. As your hands fall to your sides you realize you have never felt such peace or joy in your life. Now, what has to have happened in 2012 for you to experience this next December?

Your answer to this question is your unique recipe for living your best life. Here are a few questions to get you started:

What did you do in your career that will take it to the next level?
Did you brush up on some old skills or learn new ones?
What's the one thing you've talked about doing for years but finally did it in 2012?
Did you move? If so, where?
What trips did you go on? What did you see and experience? Who helped you create a better life? Did you join an organization? Did you hire a life coach?
What kind of friend were you this year?
How did you show your loved ones that you care about them?
What special things did you do with your spouse/kids?
What did you create in 2012?
What new hobby did you take up?
What about your health? Was 2012 the year you committed to regular exercise and better nutrition? How did you do it?
How did your community and/or the world benefit from your efforts?
Who did you inspire? How?

Read: Are You a Loser if You Don't Have New Year's Resolutions?

As I wrote last year about this time, contrary to popular opinion (and several best-selling books!), just fantasizing about a better future won't make it a reality, but it's hard to achieve if you don't first believe. By dreaming about a better life, imagining it in detail, and then writing about it, you will know exactly what inspires you and what you need to do to create your best life in 2012.