How to reflect on your last year
If you know me, you know I journal. A lot. Journaling has been a fairly consistent practice of mine over the last 10+ years. However, many times throughout the year I have a season where I just don’t have the inspiration to put pen to paper.
December is NOT that season.
As New Year’s Day approaches, we find ourselves thinking of resolutions, goals, and dreams for the upcoming year. Hold on to your sequin dresses and dreams until we get closer to 2020 — I’m here to make a case for reflection season.
Use the month of December to reflect on your last year.
Before we dive into the tips, a few housekeeping items to prep yourself for the most epic reflection you’ve ever had.
Go into the reflection with a positive mind. Maybe take a quick walk before, a light stretch, fire up a candle, put on a sweet playlist, and make a cozy cup of tea.
No judgies! When you come across a memory that isn’t positive, don’t pass judgement on yourself. Give compassion to the younger you.
Have a journal handy. Don’t make me tell y’all AGAIN to buy the best journal I’ve ever used.
Remind yourself this isn’t yet future-looking and we are just here to reflect on the past. (don’t worry, there is a newsie coming with future-looking tips!)
How to reflect:
Ask your trusted inner circle (family, friends, partner, puppy…) to share where they’ve seen you shift over the last year. What are they proud of? Hint: now's a great time to share where you're proud of them, too.
Open up your photos app and take a scroll from January through today. What happened that was picture-worthy over the last year?
If you journal, read back through your entire year of journaling. What are you surprised to see? Were there moments you were in a rough patch and you thought you’d never get out, but now you’re sitting on the other side of it, happily?
If you’re a virgo like me, look through your Google Calendar, because lord knows that houses EVERY detail of your life. Bonus points if you can match up your calendar with your journal and draw some parallels. (i.e. “oh wow, I was journaling about how anxious I was every morning while I was dating that dude.”)
Take a minute to think back to this time last year and get really specific — What were you doing? Where were you? Who was around you? How healthy were you (mentally and physically)? What did your environment look like? And where are you now?
Now that you’ve seen the photos, read the journal, obsessively stalked your own Google Calendar — think back to your most favorite memory from the last year (this one only works after doing the previous exercises; otherwise there is some serious recency bias). If you want, jot down the details of that memory and what made it so special.
All of this is in service to that stuff we love as a society — setting goals and creating resolutions. I think where we miss the mark many times is taking stock of what we’ve done, celebrating it, and only then can we begin to dream. Don’t rush the process, no one wants a half-baked dream.
Peace + laughs,
CC
