Give 2016 some thought and note the times that you celebrated, re-charged and felt whole. You might be surprised how frequent this actually was. We tend to remember and dwell most heavily on the challenges that were presented in our year, or altered the path we were on. What we tend to forget is that many of these path-altering challenges indeed forced us to learn a necessary skill or grow in a new direction that we wouldn’t otherwise have gone. Reflecting on an entire 12 months can be a powerful reminder of the bigger picture, and demonstrate your resilience despite those rocky moments - and when you step back, you can see they were only moments.
When Did You Feel Your Best?
Was 2016 the year that you took a leap in your career and left a toxic work environment? Or did a family trip bring you and your children or siblings closer? Even on a smaller scale, we can find memorable and important times where we felt really alive. Maybe you took skiing lessons for the first time, started to go on weekly nature walks or started volunteering your time for a cause you really believe in. Journaling can be an excellent practice to uncover these specific times for yourself, and to discover new ones as well.
What Are Your Happiest Moments of 2016?
Was a new member or pet added to your family, or did you get to connect with an old friend or relative that you haven’t seen in a long while? Did you get recognized for your hard work on a project, or were you able to able to be present at a sibling’s wedding? A “happy” moment can easily be a subjective way to describe a shift or experience in your life, big or small.
Past, Present and the Future
With only one day left of 2016, this is a prime opportunity to kick-start a flow of energy that helps keep our minds calm and clear and also invites fresh positive energy to enter. Decluttering your space helps clear that old energy and make room for new projects and ideas. Focus time and dedication on finishing any projects that have been started or halfway completed. Anything that we have been procrastinating on will need some kind of structure so that we can release the energy caught up in it, even if all we do is make a plan with a realistic deadline.
Here are a few intention-setting prompts to help you reflect on where you’ve been and where you’re headed:
- What’s the last good habit you developed? How did you do it?
- What have you always wanted to do, but haven’t gotten around to doing? What is stopping you?
- What are one of the desires you have for your career?
- What relationships (with children, relatives, coworkers, romantic etc.) do you want to grow and flourish?
- What brings you joy every single day?