Robyn and I (and our families) relish the last week of the year as a time to reflect on the year past and upcoming.
Here are a few reflection questions, many that we’ve talked about in our household over the past week. I wanted to share them, since this year in particular warrants reflection and prompts can be helpful.
But whether or not you use these prompts, I do think reflection - whether alone, with a friend, a partner, or a notebook - during this time of year is well worth it. I highly recommend taking at least a few quiet, contemplative minutes before you return to your usual routine.
Happy New Year!
Reflections that look backward:
What have you received this year?
What have you given this year?
How have you made life difficult or inconvenient for others this year?
What did you intend for 2020, and what actually happened?
What were your high points and low points? What emotions did you feel at those points?
What do you now know about how the world works, that you didn’t before?
What happiness or sadness are you still holding onto?
In what ways is your relationship different, or stronger?
How has your perception of life in your community changed this year? How has your view of the world changed?
What activities or people did you find a way to hang onto in some form?
What’s an event that you’d want your grandchildren to remember about this year? What lesson would you share with them?
Reflections that look forward:
What about this year would you continue in the future?
What about this year would you never opt to do again?
What do you intend for 2021?
How do you want to make your closest relationships, like your marriage, stronger in 2021?
What outcome that you want to happen is at the top of your list for 2021?
What’s a way that you want to behave differently in 2021?
What’s something you want to spend more time on in 2021? Less time on?
What phase of life are you transitioning into or out of?
What hard thing do you intend to tackle in 2021, even though you may fail?
What are some of the relationships you want to focus on in 2021?
What’s something that seems urgent but is really just a distraction for your most important 2021 priorities? (Pair with this post on anti-priorities).
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