Why I Do Year-End Reflection
“How was your year?”
It’s a simple question; yet it stumped me.
“Good, challenging.”
I quickly responded with a standard answer, hoping that would satisfy the casual acquaintance who was just making small talk anyway. Truth be told, I didn’t really know. I hadn’t reflected on my year.
An end-of-the-year reflection feels like piling on another task on an already full to-do list. But I knew I desperately needed it. Especially this year.
Why Reflect?
Reflecting allows us to be here in the present. If we choose to live in the future, or dwell too much in the past, we’ll miss out on today. In this present moment, there’s something worth celebrating. The present also holds disappointments, regrets, and grief.
Reflection allows space for processing. We can look back at what happened or didn’t happen, delve more deeply into our experiences, relationships, emotions, and possibly gain wisdom and insight.
Spending some time reflecting may be the intentional rest practice we just can’t miss. Even for just a moment, hitting pause before playing what’s next can be transformational.
The How
The details of how to do year-end reflection may vary, but time and space are essential. Time can be whatever feels doable - 15 to 30 minutes, an hour, a day, or more. I find a quiet space to be helpful, usually somewhere outside my normal environment.
Three prompts for reflection:
What are my highlights/lowlights?
Where do I feel gratitude or regret?
Any learnings or insight gained?
I recommend capturing responses in some form that feels natural and comfortable - a journal or diary, document, or voice/video recording.
My year-end reflection as a Founder
This year, I decided to go on an overnight retreat to reflect. It took a while to calm down and not be distracted. Finally, in the silence of my room, I reflected on my year.
Below are some things I captured.
· Be here. Celebrating that I launched a business this year. I proved an idea in my head can become reality. I didn’t give up on myself.
· Be grateful. For the many who cheered me on and offered their support - I know I’m not alone. For being able to experiment - I can learn, create prototypes, and tinker. For having clients - I offer something valuable that others want and need.
· Be assured. Not everything turned out as I expected or wanted, but this is not the end. My story as an entrepreneur is just beginning.
The Unexpected “Extra”
The story we tell ourselves matters. The next time someone asks me about my year, I now have a good story to tell. It’s good because it’s truthful and balanced, hopeful, and not cynical. Most importantly, it’s my story. The stories we tell ourselves are the stories we tell others.
How was your year? What’s the story you’ll tell?
