I always find these requisite year-in-review sort of posts difficult.  This year is no exception.  I have started and scrapped this entry about a dozen times already.

How do I summarize a year like this? In doing so, it would be unfair to not write about some of the ways this year has been deeply transformative for me. Do I want, however, to post some deep soul-baring retrospective?  I don’t think so; besides, I’m not under the delusion that anyone wants to read a play by play of a year in the life of David Meade.

Similarly, how can I justly describe my (many) hopes, goals, plans for 2016 without going into all the amazing but personal challenges, victories, and failures in 2015 that set them all up?  Even if I were to try … I don’t like laundry lists of ‘resolutions’.

Goals, however, seem a good thing to have in mind for the path ahead.  Objectives?  I guess. I dunno.

I decided several times over the past week that I just wasn’t going to write a ‘New Year Post’ – but the thing is: 2015 was a big deal year for me, and it feels like it deserves a wrap-up post.  I should write something about it.  Something. Meanwhile, I am anxiously excited and deeply nervous for all the things coming in 2016 … it feels like it deserves some sort of affirmation if not a promise …. so I’m going to make an attempt.  I’m not posting this because I feel the need for the Internet to keep me accountable, but simply as a future reminder to myself of where I was at the end of 2015 and what I truly wanted to get out of 2016.

I’m going to try and keep it very high level.  Tricky … but let’s just dive into it and see what happens ….

Bottom Line on 2015: I’m calling 2015 an epic year.  2015 offered me a ridiculous amount of personal growth through some truly great moments as well as some deeply challenging moments.  Success, failure, pride, regret, fear, and bravery; it’s been a messy and wonderful year – but what made it such an important year for me was not all of the individual moments, but rather that all of that chaos was collectively aligned with very targeted personal growth and transformation.  Honestly, in this regard, the only year that compares with 2015 was 2014.  In a way 2015 was Act II to 2014’s Act I.  You can imagine then, perhaps, how excited this makes me for 2016 – Act III of transformation and growth?

One of the Truth’s I’ve reaffirmed this year is that you grow and invite transformation by getting out of your comfort zone.  You take risks.  It doesn’t always work out – but that’s how you grow.  You find Truths by facing down fears that limit your perspective. This proves to be both terrifying and rewarding. It also seems to me that every time you break through one fear, there’s another – usually larger one – to target next; at least that how it’s been for me the last few years. In 2015, I’m proud to report, that I faced many fears and I came out stronger for having done so. I’ve also (terrifyingly) lined up even greater challenges for 2016.

… and that brings me to my bottom line statement looking ahead to 2016.  There’s all sorts of very tactical things I want to accomplish in 2016 (become more physically fit, expand social circles, deepen both new and old friendships, etc), but really … I have only one objective that I want to be able to look back on 2016 and feel like I succeeded at.  At the start of 2017, I want to be able to say that I spent 2016 taking risks and not letting fears prevent growth, transformation, acceptance, and Truth.

For 2016 to be a success it’s going to have to be a little bit terrifying and probably more than a little messy.  My ‘resolution’ is to go in knowing that and not cower from it.  Success, failure, pride, regret, fear, and bravery: it’ll all be there – all over again.  If you can forgive my being human in 2016, I’ll do the same for you – and we’ll have a messy and awesome 2016 together.