It’s that time of year again…
No, I’m not referring to the seasonal need to “hit the stores” (or let’s be more realistic…online shopping carts) for all of your holiday shopping needs. I’m not even talking about December’s customarily packed schedule (although both of these things may be true for you.)
It’s the time of year when I like to take a step back and reflect on the year as a whole.
It’s month 12 out of 12. We’ve nearly crossed the finish line on 2022 and are preparing to enter a new year and new chapter.
Now, before you get all excited dreaming of new possibilities and resolutions…LET’S PAUSE.
Truly effective forward planning and growth must first be informed by retrospective reflection. This month on the blog, I’ll be guiding you (and myself) through a series of reflection exercises, crafted to help us take a good look back at the past year so we can look forward to an even better year to come.
Before we begin…
Here are a few practical tips to help you make the most of these reflective exercises:
- Plan your time. If you’re anything like me, if it isn’t scheduled, it simply doesn’t happen. I recommend setting aside a specific time to immerse yourself in your reflection exercises. This could be one longer chunk each week (an hour or two) or several smaller chunks spread throughout your week (ex: ten minutes each morning.) It doesn’t really matter how you organize your time…it just matters that you make it a priority.
- Take notes. If you want this time to have any true and lasting impact, take notes. Trying to remember it all simply isn’t realistic. Grab a journal or pull up the “Notes” tab on your phone and jot down your key thoughts and reflections. (Personally, I’d always go for the physical pen and paper method. The process of writing words out by hand clearly defines your thoughts and goals in the eyes of your brain in a way that digital typing just can’t compete with.)
Alright, let’s get to the nitty-gritty.
This month’s focus: RELATIONSHIPS.
The people that we spend time interacting with on a regular basis have a tremendous impact on our lives (and we on theirs). As such, it’s important to consider the strength and quality of the relationships we’ve built our lives around.
Looking Back:
As you begin to reflect on your own relationships, here are a few questions to consider:
- Who did you spend the most time with this year?
- Who had the greatest positive impact on your life?
- Who had the greatest negative impact on your life?
- How did you show up in your relationships?
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- Were you present and attentive to the most important individuals in your life? Did you do enough to foster these relationships?
- Did you give too much in any particular relationship? Did you “lose yourself” through habits like people-pleasing?
Going Forward:
After you’ve taken time to truly reflect on and assess your relationships from the previous year, you can extend this exercise by taking a look forward. As you ponder your vision and relational goals for the upcoming year, here are a few questions for your consideration:
- What relationships do you want to prioritize in the upcoming year and why?
- Are there any relationships you need to let go or take a step back from?
- If so, who?
- How will you do this?
- Do you have an open door/open mind policy?
- Are you open to new relationships? Open to learning and connecting?
- If not, what is holding you back?
I hope you’ll join me in making December a time for quiet and reflection. I truly believe any time spent taking an honest look at ourselves and our lives is time well spent. Click HERE to stay up to date on upcoming blog content! You don’t want to miss out on next week’s exercise…it’s a good one!
Article was contributed by: Maria Lees, Team Writer with Sarah Boxx
