I’m not big into new year resolutions. I find that turning over a new leaf does hold a lot of promise, but without an actionable plan, most new endeavors fall flat fairly fast. I think about the recently passed NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) as an example. While a great many people are able to accomplish 50 thousand words in 30 days, more people begin but do not complete. With good cause: It’s a daunting task. If you’re not used to writing 1,333 words a day it can be very daunting. I once knew a young female writer who accomplished fifty thousand in one week!

Shoot for the moon.
Even if you miss, you’ll still land among the stars.
~Norman Vincent Peale

But here, I’m not talking about accomplishing outrageous goals once a year. It’s about reflecting and reviewing the year.

At the beginning of this year, I’d hoped to double the number of contacts on a particular media platform. The plan required spending more time there, networking, reaching out to people, and physically showing up. It required a certain amount of bravery that I wasn’t sure I had. But, as the year progressed, I followed a series of small steps and ended up tripling my goal. Yes, I’m thrilled! Other facets of my plan didn’t fare so well.

I used to say, “Time flies!” and “Where has the time gone?” But have I appreciated what transpired in the last 365 days? Whether or not I reached every goal, came through the year with flying colors, or failed spectacularly in my ambitions, the tail end of a year is a great time to reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and many other events that may have been overshadowed.

If you’re a journal keeper, this is as simple as flipping through your notebook pages of the last year. If you’re not so much into writing it all down,  can ask yourself these questions to jog your memory.

What were some of my brightest memories?
My shiniest moments?
Who were the unforgettable people I met this year?
Can I recall some significant conversations?
What was my pivot point or paradigm shift?

My daily effort reciting positive affirmations and catching negative thoughts helped make this year one of incredible growth. I said yes to scary things, and stuck with challenging situations.

What was your most difficult challenge?
What new skills or abilities did you learn?
How many people were added to your life? Were any subtracted?

For everything you have missed, you have gained something else,
and for everything you gain, you lose something else.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

What failures did you learn from?
Which was the most heart-rending?
What would you repeat if you could? Or skip?

It can be difficult to remove people from your circle. If you’re not on the same wavelength, conversations sound like a lot of static. By limiting exposure to certain people, I’m able to maintain my motivation and positivity. I learned that not every remark needs my answer.

What victories did you celebrate?
What memory did you most enjoy making?
What was the most joyful day of your entire year?
What insights did you gain or what big question was finally answered?
How did you surprise yourself this year?
Overall, would you say your year was mostly negative or positive?

I’m still learning to pause and celebrate my victories, especially small ones. It doesn’t have to be expensive, just acknowledging that I succeeded refreshes me.
It is a supreme joy to look back on the good and bad and see how those events have affected, improved my trajectory and made me more self aware. I have not arrived, and I’m happy being a work in progress, learning. and growing and finding new talents and capabilities.

It’s my hope that you can recall many moments that bring a smile to your face, warm your heart and brighten your day. I’m grateful for you, dear reader. For taking the time to stop in and read a post or two, leave a comment and maybe even share. Keep coming back, I really like you!
I wish you all the best. Let’s challenge each other in the next year.