“Hurry…hurry” – words I say almost every day! It is so easy to go from one thing to another just taking care of one’s day-to-day commitments. If your family is like ours, we go from work/school, to after school activities, to dinner, to bath time, then bed time and repeat.
Over the course of a year one season blends into the next as well. We go from a vacation to kids in school, to kids out of school, to holiday 1, holiday 2 etc. Before you know it another year has passed. It’s easy to feel like you’re on a track that just doesn’t stop. Before this year’s holidays blur into a new year, take a moment to pause, reflect, and consider the 365 days that just passed. Reflect and celebrate the past year before you set new goals!
Remind Yourself of the Good
Maybe you feel like you had a meh year. It wasn’t your best year ever. I challenge you to find the silver lining. I read something once that encouraged you to flip situations to see them through a different light.
House to clean = Safe place to live
Laundry = Clothes to wear
Dishes to wash = Food to Eat
Toilets to clean = Indoor Plumbing
Lots of noise = People in my life
Long Days + Short Years
They say the days are long but the years are short. With young kids, there are so many funny, sweet, awesome things they do day in and day out, but it’s easy to remember the meltdown, the argument, the “threenager” attitude. So, it’s important to intentionally remind ourselves of the positive. By taking time to pause and consider the wins in our lives, we are crystallizing the best memories from the year. Writing it down is even better!
Reflection Defined
Reflection gives the brain an opportunity to pause amidst the chaos, untangle and sort through observations and experiences, consider multiple possible interpretations, and create meaning.
https://hbr.org/2017/03/why-you-should-make-time-for-self-reflection-even-if-you-hate-doing-it
Reflect Before Setting Goals
Our society tends to encourage focusing on the next big thing. When school starts…when we go on xyz vacation…once Christmas is here…in the New Year, I’ll do… Before you set goals for the next year, pause and answer the following questions. If you’re married, do them with your spouse, if you have kids, involve them.
- What are my favorite memories from the past year? Did my kid(s) do something funny, new, or unusual that I want to remember. Did my spouse do something that was over the moon? Maybe I had a special time with some friends.
- What were my biggest wins/successes from the past year? With the kids? With my spouse? Professionally? Personally? Financially? Spiritually? Physically?
- What was the best adventure I had last year?
- What new things did I try? Did I learn a new skill? Join a new group? Put myself out there and do something out of my comfort zone?
- What lessons did I learn this past year?
- What am I thankful for? Family, friends, health, accomplishment, neighbors, work etc.?
Celebrate Good Times
You rock! 🎉📝🙌 You had an awesome year! Smile on your successes, the memories that were created, the fun you had, the new things you did! In the new year, I plan on taking time to reflect on a more regular basis…what about you?
These are wonderful ways to round out the year. I’ve been gathering different things that I want to work on in my own journal, and I definitely want to use some of these. Thank you!
I love these questions!! What a great way to reflect! My biggest adventure would definitely be te one we are undertaking right now. We have been on the road for exactly one week as full-time RVers. We’ve definitely had a lot of hiccups so far, but we are excited to see what the rest of this journey holds.
Love this and totally agree that it’s so important to take time to reflect on the year that was. Before looking ahead to the new year I’ll take a moment to look back on all the amazing things we accomplished this year.
I really enjoyed your post. I think remembering the good is so important. I will admit this is something I have to work on. I think we are so focused on being “successful” and having that recognition that we forget to celebrate the little things. There was a time in my life where i’d be mad at myself for not achieving something fast enough or not doing something perfectly, but now I embrace the set-backs too.
Reflecting is certainly something you need to do before setting that goal. I learned that when I went back to school at the age of 30 afyer getting divorced with 2 small children. Don’t make quick judgements that could last a lifetime.
Your blog was so worth the read, especially because of your paragraph on remind yourself of the good. It´s a great way to think!
A lot of good things has happened to me in 2017. I would definitely celebrate the past year, and your list will help me remember every single thing I should be thankful for!
I love this concept. How often do we go day by day, year by year and miss so much. It’s so important to stop and reflect. Thank you for taking the time to write this and write out the guided questions. Have a happy holiday season!
I definitely need to reflect on the positive and the negative from this year. I also want to focus on monthly goals for the new year! No resolutions!
These questions are amazing and great way to put things in perspective. It is great to discuss the great positive things that happen over the course of year and what you have learned.
These are great questions! I can’t wait to sit down and journal these all out to reflect on my year. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so very much for my New year’s inspiration. The year flew so fast I swear I am still reeling. I will definitely reflect and ponder the questions you have asked. What a wonderful idea for a post. Pinning for later.
LOVE the deflect questions. I’ll be using those in my classroom (maybe with a little modification). Thanks for the reminder about focused on the good in our lives when it’s easy to get caught up with the bad day or bad moment.
I absolutely love this! It is so great to sit back and reflect on the year you’ve had and remember all the good times. It’s also great to figure out what you can do better in the new year.
I love your take on this! It’s a great idea to reflect on this year before setting goals for next year.
Love these tips. Such a great perspective. It really is so hard to even take time to reflect, but so important. Thank you for sharing.
This is the perfect time of year to reflect, for sure! I’m going to write down those questions in my journal and answer them – they’re such great prompts!
So true about reflecting before setting goals. There have been times in the past when I made goals that were way too big! It’s easy to get carried away sometimes. 🙂
I love these questions! Reflection on the previous year is so important for setting new goals for the year ahead. It helps put things into perspective and prioritize.
Aww, thank you for this post. It’s always important to reflect on the good, even in bad times. I have those years where it seems I didn’t accomplish much – when in reality, from your questions, I truly had (no matter how small). These are questions people should reflect on each year! 🙂
Love this Melissa! Definitely incorporating the questions into our upcoming couple’s vision retreat. Happy holidays!
Thanks Jenna! I’m glad you liked it! I think it’s great that y’all do a couple’s vision retreat! Would love to make time for Justin and I to do that!
Those are great questions to reflect and be thankful. I also look at my failures, learn, and grow from them. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Marjie!
This is so meaningful — thank you! Reflection takes courage but it is so helpful surrounded by gratitude and honor for oneself! And appreciation for all that has come our eay to learn and guide us!