The ancient Roman god, Janus, was the God of Beginnings (think January!). A good beginning was thought to ensure a good ending, and so Janus is always shown with two faces gazing in opposite directions. His main temple in the Roman Forum had two doorways, on facing East to welcome the beginning of each day, and the other West to bid farewell to the day on its journey into night. His statue was placed between the two portals as if to say: "Give full attention to the future, but do not forget the past."

In the spirit of the ancients, it makes good sense to think about the past as we embark on the new. Instead of welcoming 2003 with yet another set of resolutions about how and who you want to be this year, why not take a look at who you have been first?

Year's end is one of my favorite times with my coaching clients. We pause on our odyssey toward the future they are creating, and devote a session or two to the past year. Our intention is to shine a high beam on what the year has been about. What are the accomplishments to remember and celebrate, what failures do we want to re-examine, how are we different today than we were a year ago.

The culture we live in drives inexorably toward tomorrow and yesterday can get pretty short shrift. As we lean toward our futures, the exhortation to "be here now" can feel like rocket science for most of us, so my invitation to intentionally look backwards may feel like folly. But todays and tomorrows are all built on yesterdays. If we don't pause to harvest the learning, we may find ourselves in our own version of Groundhog Day, racing toward a tomorrow that looks exactly like yesterday.

Here are some questions I've been working on with my coaching clients over the past month. This is a wonderful exercise to share with a partner or a friend and my suggestion is to take a walk, or get to the beach or the hills—someplace where your mind can sail without the interruptions of phones, beepers, kids and the noise of our everyday existence.

1. What was the theme of your life during 2002? Overall, what was this year about?
2. What were your three biggest wins in 2002? How have these wins impacted your life?
3. What were your three toughest challenges in 2002? What did you learn?
4. What is the most important lesson from 2002 that you want take with you into 2003?

Best wishes to you all for a New Year full of joy, health, laughter and love.

About My Coaching:
As a personal and executive coach, it is my goal to bring dynamic leadership, a compassionate heart and powerful insight to the lives of my coaching clients. I work to help clients identify and pursue what is deeply meaningful in their lives and their businesses, and collaborates with them to transform vague yearnings or explicit goals into realities.

After graduating from Princeton University, I spent almost 20 years as an independent feature film, video and CD ROM producer guiding projects to success. As President of Midwest Film Productions, I honed my skills building productive teams of people, working to intense deadlines, quickly and accurately assessing complex situations and brainstorming and implementing creative solutions. It was during these years that my passion for small businesses emerged.

In my coaching practice I call on my extensive production and business background with the express goal of helping my clients live their lives and create their businesses by design and not default.

I completed my coaches training through the prestigious Coaches Training Institute, completed advanced training and received my certification credential through them as well.

My latest favorite quote: "A goal is a dream with a deadline."

If you are interested in exploring how coaching may be of value to you personally or to your business, I am pleased to offer a ‡ hour complimentary session. Please feel free to give me a call or send me an email.

Contact me:
Dina Silver, CPCC
Pegasus Coaching Group
310-393-8082
dina@pegasuscoachinggroup.com
http://www.pegasuscoachinggroup.com/