My Ideal Year

Take a moment and imagine it's one year from now.

You look back and realise this has been one of your best years. You became more of the person you wanted to be. You invested in the things that matter most. You spent less time drifting and more time living intentionally.

Now ask yourself one question: what would need to happen for that to become true?

That's what this section is about.

From Idea to Picture

Most of us already have some idea of the life we want — stronger relationships, healthier habits, more purpose, a deeper connection with our Judaism life, being a better version of ourselves. But there's a real difference between having an kind-of-idea and actually painting the picture clearly and powerfully, putting it into words detailed enough that you can clearly see the you that you want to be aspire towards in the year ahead.

Taking the time to think through your values, your goals and your highest priorities, at least for the year ahead, doesn't guarantee any of it will happen. But it is an essential part of the equation. Once you know what you're actually aiming for, it gets a lot easier to spot the next step in front of you and to make decisions that move you toward it and minimise the obstacles that are holding you back.

That's why this type of exercise is so worth doing.

You don't need to have the HOW figured out. The goal is simply to start — to let yourself dream a little, and get a bit clearer on the person you want to become and the year you'd like to experience. You can come back to your Elultime Dashboard as often as you want to add to it, edit it, or rethink it entirely. Or, reprint the exercise PDF and modify, edit, fine-tune on paper.

4 Different exercises 

We've included a few different exercises because different approaches resonate with different people. Each one is aiming at the same target from a different angle, so pick whichever one pulls at you — or work through all four.

1.  "Hey Dani!" (Recommended)

Imagine bumping into your closest friend a year from now and saying: "I've had the most amazing year — every part of my life has been incredible. Let me tell you all about it..." Now write out what you'd tell them. Cover it all: health, relationships, spiritual growth (there'll be prompts in the exercise to help you envision everything). Write it as if it's already happened — you're describing it, not hoping for it.

2.  Me, Through Hashem's Eyes

Same idea, different voice. This time it's Hashem speaking to you — telling you that He loves you, believes in you, and is so proud of what you've achieved over the past year. Write down what Hashem would say about your amazing year, how proud of you and happy for you He is (not what your self-doubt would say).

3.  The View From the End

Same exercise as "Hey Dani," but instead of a year, it's from the end of your life. Looking back, why has it all been incredible? What are your biggest wins — the things you're most proud you did, the ones you're so glad you have no regrets about?

4.  What Do I Truly Yearn For? 

This is the simplest of the exercises — some say the most powerful one they've ever done. The goal is simply to sit and ask yourself: what do I actually yearn for? What, in my heart, do I truly want?

The exercise, by the way, is not asking what would make you look good, or what would get you attention. Those aren't about what you truly want — they're about what you think will make you look better to other people. You can come back to this exercise as you get more clarity about your truest yearnings.

One Last Thing

There are no right or wrong answers here, and there's no wrong way to do this. These exercises are simply a starting point — a way to let yourself dream about what you truly want, what you could truly achieve, and who you could truly become.