End of Year Reflecting
“Another year over, a new one just begun…”
Call it a cliché, but the end of a year always has me feeling extra introspective — it has me slowing down, it has me looking inward, it has me carving out time to take stock of the past 12 months. While I’ve never been big on New Year’s resolutions, I do like to use this time to intentionally reflect on the past year and also intentionally look forward to the next one.
Taking the time to pause and reflect helps set ourselves up for the kind of year we’re hoping to have — by looking back, we can think about what worked for us and what we may like to change. We can clearly think about the types of opportunities we are hoping to have and the type of person we are hoping to be. While we don’t need to wait until the end of the calendar year to do this, knowing that a new year is just around the corner can be exciting. It can often serve as the perfect opportunity to begin again — it’s a blank page, a fresh start.
At the end of November, I began noting down what I’d learned over the past few months to-date and kept adding to the list, up until the end of December. This year, it felt like everything I’ve been working so hard towards only became more clear and felt more “right”. I felt very in-tune with myself and felt a deep sense of knowing. Because of this, reflecting on what I learned felt easy — I felt more aligned with myself this past year than ever before. The year was punctuated by valuable lessons, moments of growth, and many opportunities to correct old ways of acting and reacting.
Here are some things I’ve been reminded of this past year:
People look up to you and admire you — remember, when you are showing up for yourself, you are showing up for others too.
Patience requires persistence — but it is worth it.
It’s OK not to know exactly what you want — instead, focus on how the ideal would make you feel, instead of needing the exact details of it.
Manifesting without clear action/effort is just wishful thinking.
You know what you are called towards — trust it. You have a keen sense of what you like/don’t like — trust this too.
Rest is not a reward; it is required — don’t glamourize the opposite of it. (If this is a topic that interests you, be sure to check out this book — 5 stars.)
It’s OK to go alone — know that it’s OK to need and want time to yourself.
Romanticizing your life is not overrated.
Protect your energy — share it sparingly and only with those who will truly appreciate it.
Listening well is a good skill — active listening is a great skill.
You can put in the exact same effort on two days and get different results on each day — rather than getting discouraged, trust the process and don’t be tempted to reduce your amount of effort and the amount you care.
Try not to over-prescribe advice — at the end of the day, each person knows what is best for them.
Boundaries can actually create a better connection, by gating the access others have to us.
Everything starts with one small, first action — a first date, a first interview, a first look, a first word.
Learning to say no is a hard lesson, but a valuable one — sticking to your nos is a harder lesson and an even more valuable one.
Things that are “right” will feel effortless.
Life is all about coming back to ourselves — each lesson we learn leads us back in that direction.
Maybe soulmates are the people we most see ourselves and our souls in.
All those times where you didn’t get what you wished for? — it was all worth it. The wait was worth it and there was something better in store.
Life can be gentle. It can be slow, it can be calm, it can be easy — don’t overthink.
I don’t care to be liked — I care to be respected.
Preparation helps, but you will never be perfectly ready for anything.
You can’t do anyone else’s healing for them.
Here’s to day 1 of 366! (yes, we get an extra day this year!)
It’s a fresh start, with so much unknown, waiting to be uncovered — I can’t wait to see what this new year holds and what lessons I’ll be reflecting on at the end of the year. I hope to remain open to growing and expanding, continuing to experience all that I can and learning through every moment of it.
Happy New Year!