Making Your Lists

9 Lists to Make This Year

'Tis the season for making lists and checking them twice. Naughty and nice lists. Holiday and seasonal bucket lists. Shopping lists and Christmas wish lists.

Many people are compulsive list makers. They make to do lists everyday and shopping lists every week. They make a reading list every month and goals lists for every quarter. They might even bullet journal with a list format. 

As we approach the energy shift from the Mountain Earth 20-year cycle to the new era of Fire, our priorities will also shift. We'll begin moving away from needing to have an abundance of "all the things" to valuing our own personal happiness. We'll begin thinking more about what makes us really happy instead of how to get more of what we thought would make us happy - mountains of money and material possessions. 

Because the Fire element is associated with our "Future Prosperity", our intentions will also begin to shift from what we want now to what we want for ourselves in the future. We'll begin moving away from needing the instant gratification that comes from getting things immediately to valuing the pride and joy we'll feel when we make choices our future selves will be happy we made. We'll begin thinking more about how we can make our future prosperous instead of what we can do to have more abundance now. 

During the Mountain Earth cycle, the focus was on high productivity, getting things done and checking all those boxes. This is because the Earth element is all about taking massive, immediate and consistent action. It vibrates with a frenetic "doing" energy. 

The Fire element has a "BEing" energy. What this means is that our attention will begin shifting from a state of doing to a state of being. You'll no longer measure your worth by how much to can do and the quantity of things you can get done. You'll no longer dismiss how you're feeling, what needs you're disregarding or what values you're dishonoring in order to get more stuff and get more stuff done. Instead of a human doing, you'll finally become a human being. You'll begin to value who you can BE and the qualities you can fully experience, embody and express, as a soul in a body. 

What this also means is that the nature of your lists will change. To DO lists will be replaced with To BE lists. Personal goals lists will become more intentional and considerate of your future self's happiness. Instead of trying to live your best life, you'll create ways to be your best self. And instead of focusing on productivity and withholding happiness until you've completed a task to achieved your goal, you'll begin valuing your happiness along the way. You'll prioritize having a state of wellbeing during the process so you can take pride in not just the what but the how, and actually enjoy your future happiness. 

The following are some ideas for 9 lists you can begin to make as we transition over the next year into a Fire 20-year cycle. This will help you ease into taking a new way to approach to creating a life that makes you happy. Some are related with the current festive time of year, others are Fire element themed and some are in preparation for the new Soft Wood year ahead.

Artist Date List

Soft Wood element years are especially supportive of creatives and artists, especially writers. If you have plans to write a book or get published this could be the year you make all of your author or literary dreams come true. Make a list of some outings you can go on throughout the year to spark your creativity and keep you inspired. Plan to take yourself on some artist dates to concerts, operas, ballets, museums, libraries, botanical gardens, book stores, coffee shops, art galleries, beautiful places in nature, etc.

Blessings List

The Fire element resonates with the vibrational frequency of a cornucopia of blessings and a series of fortunate events. Think about what a blessed life would look and feel like. Write down a list of fortunate events that you can intend to manifest in your life.

While gratitude journaling resonates the most with the thanksgiving of the Hard Metal element, counting your many blessings is related with the Fire element. Select a beautiful wooden blessing box that you can fill with notes to the Universe for each and every blessing in your life. Take the time to count your blessings, naming them one by one. Then, periodically read them to remind yourself of how blessed you are.

Bucket List

A list of things to do or experiences to have before "kicking the bucket" is associated more with the Water element. But making lists of seasonal activities and holiday festivities is a fun Fire element custom that brings intention to finding happiness, creating joy and making memories. Take the time to plan to do those things that you can only do once a year. Invite your family and friends to join you. And make them annual traditions.

Celebrations List

The Fire element likes to celebrate and be celebrated. This element appreciates being acknowledged for their accomplishments and receiving well-deserved recognition for their gifts of time and energy. Annual celebrations and festive gatherings are a favorite way to honor the momentous occasions in a truly blessed and well-lived life. Rites of passage and coming of age rituals, graduation and wedding ceremonies, anniversaries and birthdays all deserve their own special day and memorable celebrations. Make a list of upcoming dates and plan a ceremony, party or celebratory meal to commemorate these days in the life for yourself and your friends and family. 

Future Prosperity List

It's common for people to set goals for what they need now or want to achieve over the next month, quarter or year. The Fire element resonates with the energy of potential good fortune and is very future focused. It knows that what you do today contributes to what you will have in your future. Make a list of things that your future prosperous self will be happy you planned and worked toward. 

Gift List

Gifts are the Fire element's primary love language. They love to receive them, but they can also be thoughtful gift givers, as well. And they like gifts so much they will buy gifts for themselves.

During the next era we'll all get better at thoughtful gift-giving. The Earth element's love language of acts of service will be replaced with gifts that people really like, value and appreciate. While the thought will still count, selecting gifts will become a form of art and act of love.  

Gift-giving is something you can do and plan for all year long. Make two gift lists, one with gift ideas for friends and family and one with gifts you'd like to buy for yourself. Then, throughout the year, add to these lists so you know what to save up for, purchase and give to people on special days or to yourself to celebrate an anniversary or accomplishment. 

Happy List

Often people say that when they have this or that, then they'll be happy. Happy days are nearly here again. So, don't wait any longer to be happy. 

Make a commitment to yourself to BE happy. To honor that commitment you need to know what makes you happy. Then, start doing more of those things more often. 

Start by making a list of all the things that bring a smile to your face, joy to your heart and happiness to your life experience. Make sure to include the little things you can do every day that make you feel happy. Think about things that if you stopped doing them would also make you happy. Add some things you can do for and by yourself and some things you can do for and with other people. 

To BE List

Most people to have a running to do list. It might be in the Notes app on their phone or in Notion, in their day planner or on a printed tear off pad with boxes to check off throughout the day. As we move away from all the doing toward a state of being, you'll want to start thinking about who you are and who you desire to BE.

Instead of a To DO list, make a list of qualities you desire or get To BE. Then, make a list of the things you can do to develop and embody those qualities. Start devoting time each day to doing the things that provide you with access to those states of being.

Romanticizing Life List

The Soft Wood element is all about romance. Finding the love of your life, or love for a season of your life. Falling in love and falling out of love. Beginning a new romance or renewing the love in your relationship. 

Soft Wood energy years are also about romanticizing life! Falling in love, or back in love with your life. Finding ways to make the ordinary moments in life special. Finding ways to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Finding ways to make yourself feel like the hero or heroine, the leading man or leading lady, in your own life story.

Make your lists. And have fun with this. This is your life. BE HAPPY!

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