The end of the year is a natural time for reflection — on personal and professional growth, obstacles faced, lessons learned, and more. Yet many of us skip the step of looking back, instead focusing on the New Year and the goals and improvement we’re seeking, and how the coming year will differ from the last. While this is certainly valuable, some experts challenge this forward-only mindset and emphasize the importance of honoring yourself in the current moment.
“We often focus on what we want to add, improve, or do more of in the coming year,” says Barbara Powell, MA, NBC-HWC, a holistic performance coach with Life Time Mind. “We attempt to change our lives or ourselves all in one swift go. Instead, I invite you to use this precious time to reflect on what you have. It’s an opportunity to honor who you are, how you are doing, and celebrate the life you happen to be in.
“What if, in this reflection, you realize that you have and are everything you need and are seeking in the first place?” she continues. “Then, every action you choose in the coming year can build on who you already are.”
To help you lean into this mindset, Powell offers the following thought-starters for mindful reflection. She recommends journaling with these prompts or simply taking a few moments out of your day to ponder the questions in each of these important areas.
Finding Purpose
1. How can I inject purpose into what I already do for work, at home, or through creative projects?
2. How can I ensure what I do right now is simply more meaningful to me?
Sharing Gratitude
3. Who can I call right now to share my appreciation for them?
4. Who can I not call and wish I could?
Celebrating Your Wins
5. What can I celebrate this year?
6. What do I want to celebrate at this same time next year?
Evaluating Progress
7. What have I accrued this year (things, ideas, health, habits)?
8. What have I let go?
9. What have I lost?
10. What does it mean to live within my means?
Writing Your Story
11. If this past year was a chapter in my life book, what would the title be?
A Self-Gratitude Meditation
The holiday season often brings opportunities for sharing gratitude with and for others, but it’s also important to express thanks toward yourself. Recognizing your own strengths, achievements, and resilience can improve your mental well-being and your overall outlook as you move into a new year.
“Instead of always looking at the future gap of where you want to be, try reflecting on the reverse gap of everything you have done up until now to give yourself thanks for those efforts,” says Brie Vortherms, MA, LMFT, director of Life Time Mind. “Visualize a version of yourself in front of you — a past, present, or future version of self — and offer them a list of thanks. For example, ‘Thank you for making hard decisions every day; Thank you for forgiving people who have been hurtful; Thank you for always striving to learn and be a better version of yourself; Thank you for being a good friend; Thank you for letting me be a human and feel like I matter.’”
You can do this for a set amount of time (five or 10 minutes) or simply for as long as your list is of things to be thankful for.
