hi.. i got this email from someone.. thought u might all find it useful...

P R A C T I C A L S T E P S T O P R E P A R E F O R R O S H H A S H A N A / Y O M K I P P U R

Rosh Hashana is judgment for the year ahead and Yom Kippur is judgement for the past year. Yes, on Rosh Hashana you’re supposed to focus on crowning Hashem BECAUSE by doing that you’re saying that all you’re gonna do this year is for the sake of G-d! And if you do things rightfully for Hashem then Hashem will take care of you. THAT’S why Rosh Hashana determines our future year.
You may carry out the following mentally, but it would be more constructive if you write it all out. Writing is essential, because writing grants you valuable insight into your own psyche. It is key to self-awareness.

1. Before Rosh Hashana: Hashem judges you just as harshly or softly as you judge other people. List people you know who you’ve judged/judge negatively and think of ways to view them positively.

2. Before Rosh Hashana: It’s good to daven for other people. Write a list for people who you want to specifically have in mind for the following: To have children, Health, Parnosa, marriage, happiness and be able to be makarraived. It’s better if you have their full Hebrew name, but if not, use their English name. Hashem knows who you’re talking about. Don’t worry he’ll sort it out.

3. Go through “Al Chait” in your Yom Kippur Machzter. For every sin, write down (or at least mentally go through) details of how you sinned in that way. Here is a compiled list of sins if you don’t have time to do it yourself (I used an Artscroll machzter):

Sinning willingly; Hardening your heart ie.not being understanding; sinning without realising (well you can’t expand on that one if you still don’t realise! But it could be something that you never realised was a sin, then u stopped doing it); evil speech; immorality; deceit; harsh speech; wronging a neighbour: inappropriate inner thoughts; insincere confession; being disrespectful towards parents and teachers; careless sins; desecrating Hashem’s name; foolish speech; giving into our yeztar hora; denial; false promises; bribery; scorning; with commercial dealings; with food &drink; extortion; haughtiness; idle chatter of our lips; interfering eyes; haughty eyes; brazenness; throwing off your yoke; entrapping a neighbour; resentful eye; obstinacy; gossip mongering; vain oath taking; baseless hatred…

4. List sins that you did against G-d: a) regret b) confess c) strategise how to not do it again.

5. List sins that you did against another person a, b & c apply as do: d) Fix what you did (if you stole, pay back or if you spoke loshon hora about them, go back to the people to tell them you didn’t mean it and it wasn’t true, etc.) e) ask for forgiveness. However for asking for forgiveness for speaking or believing loshon hora: R' Yisrael Salanter, like Breslov, said if the other person doesn't know that you said about them, it'll only make it worse and they will be even more hurt, so it’s better not to. The Mishnah Brurah suggests that you should tell the subject that you sinned against them without being specific. The Chofetz Chaim suggests that, you could learn halachos of shmiras haloshon and spread awareness of shmiras haloshon instead of asking for forgiveness.

If you can’t think of a way in which you did a particular sin – or generally throughout- have in mind that there’s an entire world of lost Jews whose sins you should apologise for. That’s why we say “WE have sinned…”
6. and be in awe next Rosh Hashana…
· Define who you are. Rabbi Tatz says that to define the true essence of who you are: pinpoint your deepest desires. Once you know who you are you can set possible goals for yourself.
· Set goals for how much you want to improve/accomplish. Realistic goals.
· Strategise how you’re going to do that. E.g. Find a book about it, get advice from a Rabbi or a friend or therapy etc.