No matter what sort of year you have had, you have the opportunity to cut out all the bad things of this year and begin the last four months of 2016 on a high positive note. You will have had a number of successes in 2016 and it is important to acknowledge them. At the same time, you can learn from those things that did not quite go the way you had hoped. Here are some simple ways of entering the new year powerfully.

Review the positives: Write down some of the highlights of all the good things that happened to you. You will be surprised just how much you have achieved this year. Write down all your achievements such as “I did more exercise”, “I gave up junk food” or “I cleaned my house of all clutter”.

Share and celebrate your successes: Self acknowledgement and appreciation will be great to start with. You deserve it. As usual, being grateful for the goodness already in your life makes it possible for you to receive even more. Celebrating your successes is also a key step in having the confidence to take on new challenges in the coming year.

Be appreciative of the people who have helped you: Express gratitude for your past alliances and at the same time forge stronger friendships for the future.

Review your current to do list for work: Be ruthless and eliminate as many tasks as you can, without doing them. Then choose just one task and get it done. Finally, throw away your unfinished to do list and do not write another one till next year. You will be surprised how great it will feel not having a list of things to do. 

Finish off unresolved issues: Review any grudges you have been holding or pent up anger against anyone, then make peace with that person and yourself. Forgive and forget; let go!

Identify and eliminate whatever drains energy: Make a plan to eliminate those relationships that no longer work for you. Look at smarter ways of spending your time with people you like.

Clear up some clutter: Go around the house room by room, collect those things you no longer want and either dump or give to a charity shop. Have a clear space so that the next year can begin to bring you greater prosperity. If you use a computer, then delete any old and unnecessary files and emails.

Learn to say ‘No’: Begin to say ‘no’ to things that you don’t really want to do. Unsubscribe from newsletters, magazines, email groups and leave WhatsApp and Facebook groups that don’t work for you, so that your time is not cluttered up.

Do something new: Do something that you have never done before. For example join a yoga class; plan a vacation you have been postponing for years, or dine in a restaurant you would have never thought of trying. Go on a new voyage of discovery and child-like curiosity.

Exercise and relax: For at least 20 minutes just walk. You will feel great and avoid the weight gain problems. Rest and relax. It is also important to take it easy. Sleep in all day, or just laze about in front of the TV.

No matter how 2016 started for you, just remember that it has been a great year. And the last few months can be even better.