A sunset on another 12 months of our lifetimes has just ended…most likely faster than we expected. But what did we do with it? What did we gain? How are we different? And why do these questions matter?
Often we are rushing through life so busy with the day-to-day that it all becomes a blur of one day rolling into the next. Taking the time to reflect upon and acknowledge all that we’ve done, been through, accomplished in that time period can offer much greater perspective on what we’ve achieved and how we have grown. Even better than that, it can also be a great source of satisfaction and sense of accomplishment.
It is very difficult to recognize everything we’ve experienced or accomplished in a year without actually pausing to reflect and jot it down. When I’ve done this the past few years, it has allowed me to acknowledge and fully appreciate the degree of change I’ve been through. The number of significant life challenges. The personal growth. Seeing it all more clearly has given me a greater sense of accomplishment and gratitude, as well as recognizing my own strength, resilience and development.
Below are a few suggested questions to get you started. However, feel free to create your own list of whatever seems relevant for you.
- What am I celebrating from the year?
- What were my achievements (both big and small)?
- What were the life lessons?
- What were the joys?
- What am I grateful for?
- What was my overall 2017 experience?
- What am I taking away from 2017?
- How have I grown from this past year’s experiences?
This is not about dwelling on the negative, rehashing situations in your mind, or being harsh about what should or shouldn’t have happened. Rather, it is about what we learned from our experiences that we wish to take forward into the new year. These questions can be powerful in helping us do just that.
Another idea I started in 2017 to support me with this activity was a “gratitude jar” (an idea I learned from Liz Gilbert). The concept was to jot little notes to myself throughout the year about something that brought me joy or that I was grateful for that day and drop it into the jar. Then on New Year’s Day read all the notes to fully appreciate what brought me joy.
Today I had the pleasure of reading the roughly 100 notes I wrote in 2017. What an amazing experience! I spent a couple of hours fondly remembering those moments (big and small), especially little things I had forgotten in the year (like a snow day, walking through a beautiful garden on a sunny day, getting blown off a sidewalk by the wind and laughing at myself, time with friends). It’s such a simple concept, but so powerful. It’s definitely something I will make an annual tradition.
So before you fully leap into 2018, how about taking a little time to reflect on what 2017 meant for you. Pause to acknowledge all you went through in the last 365 days, then allow that to help you frame your aspirations for 2018.
Now let’s spark a conversation…what are you celebrating from 2017?