When the year 1989 was heading to a close and making way for 1990, I was a teenager. I cannot quite remember what prompted me to think about the new decade ahead, but I did, deeply. And on the first day of that new decade in 1990, I began a personal tradition that still goes on to this day. I have a special New Year journal where I write an overview of the year gone by, a review of the most memorable achievements and noteworthy moments. Then I write a plan of action and intentions for the coming year. Maybe a few wishes thrown in, too. If the coming year also begins a decade, I extend the write-up not just for the year ahead but for the whole decade. That's what I did at the change point of 1989/1990, 1999/2000, 2009/2010 and will be focusing on this week now too. The year change has become a very precious time for me for this reason. Saying goodbye to what's in the past and welcoming the new with joyful allowing.

What's personally interesting to me is that each of my past decades I've ended living in a different country than where the decade began. It will be fascinating to see (if all goes well and I'm granted with the opportunity of growing old) whether this pattern continues and I find myself moved to an entirely different culture and language environment when the year 2029 is drawing to a close. We shall see.

But the real magic -and obviously what has kept me hooked on this tradition year after year- has been the uncanny, inexplicable way in which what I have written around the year change, has more often than not taken shape in the most incredible ways, and at the end of each year, I have been able to 'tick' achievements, even many of the more outrageous wishes in my journal. Of course, some have not come to fruition within just one year, but the arch has been maintained and the pattern continues. Perhaps it is the fact that writing it all down with clear intention, lodges your chosen trajectory into your subconscious, and throughout the year you end up making choices in support of that. Then, at the end of the year (or a decade) you may have almost forgotten what you wrote twelve months ago but where you have come to, reflects that.

I do revel in change and growth. I'm excited to be sitting here and planning what to write in my annual year-end journal this time. I hope you'll join me, and write your very own intentions for the upcoming year - maybe even the whole decade?

Happy transition, everyone!