I’ve always had mixed responses to end-of-the-year reflection and New Year’s resolutions. But it’s helpful to take a moment to think about what did and didn’t work last year and about what I’d like to accomplish in the coming year.
This year the holiday spirit made me think about it a little differently. I love to give a big party, buy gifts, extend myself more than usual, be with the people I love. And somewhere along the line it dawned on me – what about bringing more of this spirit of generosity to myself?
Rather than making my usual perfunctory lists of last year’s successes and failures, calculating revenue and setting financial goals for the year, I decided to approach it in a new way.
I brought a much bigger heart and mind to the process. I made sure to really celebrate the successes and think about what I did and what others did to create them. And I looked at each of my challenges as learning opportunities. Maybe I didn’t get the results I wanted, but how could I see them as steps along the way? And most importantly I brought a light touch and gratitude for everything in my life right now to the whole exploration. I found I had a lot more space to think creatively about where I’d like to go from here. So my New Year’s reflection became a whole different experience.
Here are some of the questions I asked myself. I hope they inspire your thinking in a more generous and expansive way as we move into the New Year.
- What are you most proud of achieving last year?
- What have your greatest challenges been?
- How have you met those challenges?
- What have you discovered that’s new and inspiring?
- What new friends or associates have come into your life?
- What’s made you really happy?
- What’s made you really unhappy?
- What would you like to do more of in the coming year?
- How would you like to see your business grow?
- How would you like to see your relationships grow?
- How would you like to see yourself grow?
- Where would you like to see yourself at the end of the coming year in every area of your life?
