Greetings from New York City. I’m here for some rest, a few coaching sessions, and an important doctor's appointment, taking a brief and much needed pause from family life.
It’s been a while since my last update, and with good reason. The last two months have been some of the most emotionally challenging times I've ever faced. On the heels of completing the Hoffman process in mid-October, my father passed away peacefully after a three year struggle with rapid-onset dementia. Beyond grieving his death, I’ve been struggling with abdominal pain fueled by anxiety around potential illness and my own mortality. It’s been a period filled with darkness, but with support from family, friends and skilled practitioners, I’m digging out of this hole and finding my way back to the light.
As 2023 draws to a close, I am in the midst of preparing an annual reflection to share with you before the holiday break. This year has been a tapestry of significant personal and professional transitions, a mix of planned and unforeseen, mirroring the complexity and unpredictability of life. Today, I find myself with a radically different life, worldview, and even a transformed nervous system. Through my reflection, I hope to share perspectives and experiences that will resonate with you, offering insights and wisdom that can guide you on your own journey.
Speaking of which–it’s with great pleasure that I present to you the 2023 edition of the Ultimate Annual Review..
Download it for free right here.
Welcome to the 2023 edition of the Ultimate Annual Review. Whether embarking on this process for the first time or returning for another introspective adventure, I'm thrilled you’re here. Your trust and commitment to this process are deeply acknowledged, honored, and respected. I see you.
Now in its sixth year, the Ultimate Annual Review has crossed 25,000 downloads, impacting lives in over 80 countries. This year, while retaining the core structure, I’ve added new quotes for inspiration and expanded instructions to further guide your experience. I also published a Spotify playlist to be your musical companion as you delve into the depths of your experiences and dreams.
A theme close to my heart this holiday season is "enoughness"—an invitation to embrace ourselves and the present as uniquely perfect and complete. As I considered adding new sections and questions to this process, I realized its current form might already be ideal. What if it perfectly meets our needs? What if it's not lacking anything? And how does my impulse to add more features to an already powerful exercise reflect an insecurity?
This leads to an even broader question: what if you, in this moment, are inherently complete and perfect, just as you are?
As you reflect on 2023 and envision 2024, I encourage you to savor the unique beauty of your path, including its twists and turns. Recognize that every experience, every choice, every relationship, and every moment has shaped your unique and remarkable story.
With 2024 upon us, I encourage you to embrace this notion of enoughness and self-worth, celebrating your present completeness. Simultaneously, acknowledge and honor your latent potential and possibilities. Remember, you are enough as you are, yet you also hold the promise of tremendous growth and evolution.
So, celebrate and embrace who you are, not just for your achievements or future ambitions, but for your inherent qualities, embracing both your radiant light and your darkest shadows. In this new year, may you honor your wholeness and carry a sense of enoughness, while remaining open to the unfolding of your untapped potential and future possibilities.
With that, it’s time to begin the 2023 Ultimate Annual Review. I wish you a holiday season filled with love, light, and special moments.
Steve
Thanks for sharing this Steven!! I've been using your Google Doc for years (since 2020 i think?), and hadn't even dawned on me that you might have updated it each year 😂 I'm creating a version of it in Trello and telling my How I Trello substack all about you and this magical process! Thanks for making something so helpful and thought-provoking.
Thank you for sharing, Steven. While your journey this year is yours and yours alone, your words resonate on many levels evoking feelings of a corresponding grieving of what has been, with measured excitement for what is to come.