Now that we are officially in mid-December, my thoughts are turning to how I want to reflect on this most recent year.
This is one of my favorite times of the year to reflect since I find that looking at the past can help me feel more like I am entering into the New Year with intention and purpose.
Here are some of the reflective questions that I’ve been asking as the year comes to a close and I get ready to transition into 2024 (admittedly, I used these same questions last year, but they are too good to not use again!):
- What went well this year? In addition to goals that I worked on and projects I completed, I like to think about my habits and routines to see what was a positive component of the year. Some of the immediate things that come to mind that went well for me this year include my reading habits, wrapping up my MS in Organizational Leadership, and taking on some new responsibilities at work.
- What didn’t go well this year? No year is perfect, so I always want to try and identify anything throughout the year that I wish had gone differently, and see if that leads to any changes in 2024. This year, I definitely had a lot on my plate and it often felt overly full. I want to pay more attention to what I’m taking on in 2024 so that I make room for what I want to prioritize.
- What did I do this year that aligned with my vision of my future self? As I talked about in a past podcast episode, I love to engage in prospection and consider the relationship between my current and future selves. This year, my focus on a deep dive in learning about organizational leadership felt aligned with my future self. I also found myself getting more into movement practices, which felt aligned as well.
- What lessons did I learn from 2023? I consider myself a continual student, so this is one of my favorite questions to ponder so that I can note what I’m taking with me from my past into my future. This past year, I learned a lot about raising my hand to offer support, how to be a good colleague, and how to nurture positive and healthy relationships at work.
- What have I learned about myself in 2023 that I didn’t know before? Increasing my self-knowledge helps me to stay aligned to my values, so a question like this is a great way to note what I’m learning about who I am and how I operate. This past year, I came to a better understanding of my energy limits and how I can intentionally recover from strenuous work days. I also learned more about my own leadership style at work and how to compares to the styles of people around me.
What reflective questions will you be exploring as 2023 comes to a close?