How you can reflect on the year

The year is quickly winding down to the end and it’s a great time to begin to reflect on what you have accomplished, what you have learned, what you are planning to take with you into the New Year and what you are planning to leave behind. But why should you reflect? Is it helpful?

​The answer is an astounding yes! When you reflect, you are taking the time to slow yourself down and process your trajectory towards your goals. For some people, a goal may be to pay down debt, and for others it may be to be more present when spending time with family. Regardless of what the goal is, reflecting on your goal, is a time to check-in to see how you are doing. This is how you know if you should continue to do what you are doing, because you know it is working. Or it’s a time to change what you are doing, because it is clearly not working!
 
Reflecting should be done more regularly as opposed to at the end of the year, but it is a clear indication of a time for change. I highly suggest, that as a way to reach any goal, is to give yourself some time to reflect on what has been working and what has not. Below you will find some questions to help guide you as you begin to reflect on this past year and begin to look forward to the New Year. As you process your responses to these questions, know that there is no right or wrong answer. Be truthful and genuine with yourself.
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Questions to ask yourself when reflecting

• ​What did I accomplish this year?
• What am I proud of when I look back on this year?
• What did I do differently this year that stuck?
• What did I try this year that I did not like?
• What is one thing I know I want to take with me for the following year?
• What is one thing I want to be sure I leave behind in 2018?
• What did I learn about myself this year?
• What would I like to repeat in the New Year?
• I know I had control of the following:
• I learned to let go of the following:
• My favorite memory this year was:
• The worst thing that happened this year was:
• I felt most confident this year when I think about:
• I found peace this year when I would:
• I was most happy when I would:
• I should definitely avoid (fill in the blank) in the New Year

​I hope this exercise provided you with some insight about yourself and helped you process where you currently stand with your personal goals. If you would like to learn more on how to stick with your goals and process more about staying motivated, feel free to contact me to see if it would be a good fit.

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By: Priscilla L. Rodriguez, M.S., LMFT

I specialize in working with couples and individuals stick to goals when it comes to changing lifestyles and working towards self-improvement and personal growth. Be sure to check out this upcoming workshop on goal setting and this online class on setting goals together as a couple.