Time To Reflect

Now that we are in the final days of the year, it is time to reflect for many. We should take the time to assess what we have experienced throughout the year. This may be things such as expressing gratitude and appreciation. Overall we should use this time to ponder on what kind of lives we have lived this year. The end of the year can be tough for many. We may feel the high of the holidays fading away and begin to acknowledge that it is time to step back into the flow of life we once knew. Today we are going to comb through ways that we can reflect positively on our previous year while leaving room for growth. 

First, let us start with what not to do during this process. I will begin with an example. Let's say you had a 2024 goal of traveling to 10 states. Throughout this year you traveled a lot, but you were only able to make it to 5 states. Now we can beat ourselves up and feel like failures, or we can celebrate what we did do. You made it to 5 states this year. Woo-hoo! Some people are not as fortunate and have not been able to leave their house or room. We must have gratitude for what we did achieve. It is easy to feel like a year has gone to waste, but that is a pessimistic worldview. We should instead reflect with gratitude and grace. 

When reflecting on the year I like to identify what I wanted to do more of. For instance, we did do our fair share of traveling this year, but I felt as if we could have done more. I am grateful for the places we did visit this year. One way we can do a little more with our time is to prepare to travel. It is challenging to travel on a whim without any previous preparations. In order for my wife and I to travel more, we must prepare. So, if you want to do more of something you enjoyed this previous year, work hard to prepare for the reward. 

Now let us look at things from a different point of view. Let's say there is something that you wanted to do, but you got nowhere near the goal you had set out. Maybe you didn't achieve that goal at all? We will use another example. Maybe you wanted to write a script in the previous year, but you never got around to it. Instead of feeling guilty for not accomplishing the goal, we can use that energy as motivation for the next year. We can take small steps to make the goal a reality for the upcoming year. 

Reflection can be a lengthy process. Taking days and days to fully complete. Sometimes we may reflect on something for a lifetime. When setting goals for the new year, we want to reflect on things we can do new. Trying new things can help us grow and improve as individuals. In our reflections we may want to identify ways for us to do something different. I challenge you to do something this year that is outside of your comfort zone. For me, maybe I can try reading a new book genre. Another idea could be practicing a new challenging hobby. Maybe if you never completed the savings challenge you wanted to do. Try completing one this year. 

Lastly we can take this time to create new goals. Creating these new goals will help with a game plan for the remainder of the year. We begin to realize what we are capable of and what we can do to truly make this new year unique. Overall I am a fan of having a balance of goals that are easier and some that are harder. In the end we can ensure that we will work hard to achieve those goals.