As we enter the holiday season, things will start to slow down and we’ll finally be able to take a deep breath. Many of us will begin to look ahead and plan out what 2019 will look like. Many more will also make their new year’s resolutions.
But wait, let’s do something different this year. Instead of hastily making new year’s resolutions, why not stop and reflect on the past year and have a little conversation with yourself?
Why do this?
How often in your day-to-day do you get to reflect, and think deeply, on what’s happened?
It’ll set you up for the new year, and propel you into the new year with assured readiness.
You’ll feel greater joy, gratitude for what you have, and love for yourself and others around you.
So before you rush to put a stop on this year, let’s look back and have a little introspection.
How to do this?
Ask yourself these 3 questions –
1) What’s my proudest moment in the past year?
So many of us rush through every day without ever stopping to acknowledge how much we’ve achieved. Now that this is done, onto the next! It makes life fleeting without being able to literally stop and smell the roses. If that sounds like you, then give yourself this moment to savour your proudest achievements in the past year. You’ll realise how amazing you are, and what great capacity you have for achieving impressive feats! It’ll definitely give you the confidence to hit your new year objectives.
2) What’s the one thing I’ve learned in the past year that’ll help me be better at what I do in the new year?
Did something not go your way this past year? Perhaps you encountered tough times or unpleasant experiences? Or maybe you read or saw something profound? Did you stop, reflect, and take note on whatever it was? Now that the heat of the moment is gone, you can really look at the situation objectively and tease out key learning that can be applied to next year. This is how we learn and grow, so take this time to allow yourself to grow.
3) What are some of the things I’m ready to let go?
This can take both a tangible and intangible form. Did you experience something in the past year that left you feeling angry, humiliated, deflated, frustrated, basically downright awful? Release yourself from these negative feelings by letting go of whatever happened. Acknowledge that this feeling isn’t serving you, forgive the person and the situation, learn your lesson from it (see question 2), and move on.
In a more tangible form, perhaps a declutter of your physical space is due – time to get rid of things that you no longer need or love, and make space for the new. Organising your space has the amazing effect on your mind of cleansing, and stress reduction.
There you have it! The 3 questions to ask yourself as we come to the close of another year. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, not because it could change the past, but because how it could influence the future. So use the power of hindsight wisely to make the coming year your best yet!
