Do you take the time to review your year?
Although many of us would like to forget 2020, it's incredibly beneficial to reflect on the past year for numerous reasons. I believe this practise is hugely underestimated, as it can become a significant practise to bring value and direction to the future.
Why not take 10 minutes of your day to sit down and answer these five questions?
What were my wins?
Lets start off your review on a high and reflect on the positives!
What do you feel good about? Did you adapt to change and work from home? Did you get outside for more walks? Did you spend more time with your household? Did you get that promotion?
As you can see, this can relate to anything at all! Write down anything and everything you can think of; nothing is too small.
You may be thinking: "What if I have nothing to write?" Don't worry, I hear you! When I feel like this, I go through these aspects of life (based off the 'Life Wheel'): health, career, personal growth, spirituality, finances, hobbies and creativity, mental health, relationships and family.
Another tip is to go through your photos from the last year. Seeing a photo can jog your memory as to something good that happened.
Remember: do not compare yourself to anyone else; you have gone through some turbulent times and we have all dealt with it differently. Be compassionate with yourself!
How did I do on my goals?
Did they go well? Not well? Didn't set any? Why? How can I improve them? What's the actual problem: is it the goal itself that I'm struggling with, my method of setting them, or how I carry them out? (More on this in next week's blog!)
Another reminder here to be self-compassionate. Being hard on yourself does no good, it actually makes you a less effective person!
I believe the last three questions are going to spark some interest in you. With everyone having to adapt to a new way of living and working, our daily lives shifted immensely. It brought to our attention what we do everyday and our routines. Although many are still living within restrictions and guidelines, we can learn from our experience last year to bring more positivity and benefits to our daily lives going forward in these changing times.
What do I want to do less of this year?
Have you found that you haven't missed something as much as you thought you would? Perhaps you went to the gym out of obligation because it seems a 'necessary' thing to do, but in reality you HATE it? Or have you realised that you don't actually need as many material things as you once thought? Should you cut down on your work hours to devote time to things that are of value to you?
Identify the areas that have pained you and see what you can do to minimise them.
What do I want to do more of this year?
Have you realised how much you love spending time with family and friends? Have you rediscovered your love for painting, reading or gardening? Have you taken up a new hobby and you absolutely love it? Maybe you've taken up outdoor exercise and movement instead of the conventional gym setting?
Determine the activities you enjoy and want to do more of.
How do I want to change moving forward?
Some of our old habits have been replaced by new ones; some for the better and some for the worse. Think about these and what changes you intend to bring with you going forward.
By using this simple framework you can effectively review your year and begin to shape your intentions and goals for the next one. However these questions aren't solely reserved for yearly reviews. I love to do a mid-year audit to keep myself on track. You can complete this simple framework any time you want!