The end of every year is a chance for each of us to reflect on our past year and look forward with hope on the new year to come. While everyone has their own way of processing everything, I don’t think I ever remember all that has happened. Each year flies by but is still jam packed with all kinds of moments and memories, good and bad. I think taking some time to remember where the year started and all that has progressed since then is a great way to see all the growth that has happened, and it also helps me see what new goals I want to make or what areas I still need to work on because I didn’t meet my target.
For this past year, and really for every year, I like to look back and think of major events that have occurred in my life and reflect on how they have impacted my own life and the lives of my family members. This year alone has been crazy and wonderful all at the same time. To give you some examples, some events from this year have been:
–Turning 26: I now feel like an official adult, which I know is not accurate, but it’s how it feels. 😛
–Finished my 5th year of teaching: Considering all of the statistics that tell you about new teacher burn-out, not to mention the past several years of complete chaos, it felt really good to reach that milestone.
–Gave birth to our first baby: The arrival of our little boy was by far the best thing that has happened this year, and I think it was the hardest thing I have ever done. However, he’s pretty awesome, and he makes the hard stuff worth it. 😉
–Being a Mom: This one goes with the above, but they definitely were and are two totally different aspects of life to get used to.
–Celebrating our 5th anniversary: Yay! My hubby is the absolute best, so this was a really special event to celebrate!
–Making a commitment to my blog: With currently staying at home with my baby boy, I still wanted to push and challenge myself, and I feel like I’ve gotten the opportunity to do that through being consistent with this blog.
There are so many more events and memories from this year that were both wonderful and hard, but mom-brain can definitely make all the things hard to remember. However, these were probably some of the most important ones I could think of today and were some of the first to come to my mind as I began contemplating 2022.
One way I’ve learned how to reflect on the year actually starts at the beginning of a new year. It involves taking time throughout the year to collect and record moments, memories, blessings, struggles, and really all aspects of day to day life that you might find important or worth remembering. I had a family member share this reflection strategy with me, and I thought it would be fun to share with you since the new year is less than a week away!
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Why should I reflect on the past year?
Honestly, we as humans often have a hard time growing and learning without reflecting. I think of it a lot being a teacher because that’s what I teach kids to do all of the time, but as adults, we often get busy and forget to take time to do this. When we are going throughout each day, we might look back to the past hour, day, or week more often, but by reflecting on our past year, we are able to get more than just a small snapshot of our lives. We can get a big picture perspective that is needed when we want to make changes in our lives or accomplish big goals. Looking back is necessary in order to learn from our mistakes and successes so that we can move forward knowing what habits and priorities to keep and which ones to make an effort at changing.
What should I self-reflect on for the year gone by?
Personally, it depends on the kind of year I have had. In general, I try to look at any goals I had for the year, see if I met them or not. If I did, woohoo! But if not, I try to look at what my obstacles were and how I can avoid them for the next year. I also try to take into account what kind of year it was. Was it a non-stop struggle, day-in and day-out? Or maybe it was a year of wonderful blessing? But most often it is a year with both, and I know I need to look at how well I did with events and circumstances, both blessings and trials, and I try to check my attitude about each one. My goal is to always find the lesson, overcome with kindness and joy, and be grateful for each day I have been given. That does not mean I do this perfectly every day, but yearly self-reflection helps us as people see how we are doing in more than just the moment.
Supplies:
–Glass Jar or clear plastic container: I love my old style glass jar for this activity, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
–Small notecards: My hubby and I used index cards, but you could use post-its or whatever paper you have on hand. If you only have larger paper, you could cut it up into small squares and use that too.
–Pen or pencil: Any regular writing utensil should work.
Notes:
-If recording every week feels like it will be too much for you, feel free to fill out the notecard as often as you see fit. It’s for you, so make it work to suit you! 🙂 You could easily record every other week, or even once a month if that works better for you and your family.
-Families could definitely be involved in this activity. My hubby and I have done it together before, and it can be a really fun way to share with one another.
-Not sure you’ll remember to do it all year long? I get it. My advice is to stick the jar or container somewhere that you will see it all of the time to help you remember. Another option is to put a reminder on your phone for however often you choose to record, and then try to make it a habit by doing it at the same time every time you fill out a notecard.
-Don’t sweat it if you forget! We all have forgotten to do something in our lives, but don’t not try because you are afraid to forget. It’s better to try and do what you can, then to not try at all, especially because there is no risk here. Go for it!
How to reflect on the year gone by:
Step 1: You will need to gather your supplies. I suggest having enough paper around for each week of the year. (52 weeks = 52 pieces of paper)
Step 2: At the end of each week, you can write out on the notecard paper your favorite or important moments, memories, blessings, struggles, and anything else that you find important or that is worth remembering and recording.
Step 3: Fold up the notecard, and place it in the jar or container you are using to collect them.
Step 4: Repeat Steps 2 & 3 every week of the year.
Step 5: At the end of the year, you can read them to yourself!
By using this reflection strategy, you will have a record of every week, what happened, how things were going, and you will get a better picture of how the year looked on the whole. I like to think of these records as little letters to your future self. Then, if you are a goal oriented person or just want to be able to look back and celebrate, you have a special and personal look into the year that you have had.
If you choose to use this New Year’s reflection activity, I would love to hear about it! You can share with me on Instagram or Facebook @godsgiftofcreativity, or in the comments below. I would love to hear about how it goes! Also, if you enjoyed reading this content, please like and subscribe to my blog below.
Thank you so much for reading and reflecting with me!
-Chelsey
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