You did it! You made it through 2021. Congratulations!
These last couple of years have been very hard, and they have put a damper on New Year’s, a usually joyous and cheerful holiday. But it’s hard to feel cheery about the year to come when the last two years have brought such difficult surprises. While we’ve learned we can adapt when we need to, it’s still not fun to set goals or resolutions when your mindset is still thinking “well, this probably won’t happen.”
Instead of looking forward just yet, let’s use the end of the year and the beginning of the new year as a chance to pause and engage in some reflection.
You’ve lived through a lot of changes just in the last year. While it might have felt repetitive (like many of our days have since the beginning of the pandemic, as we’re restricted in many ways) there have also been major shifts in our lives this year.
Let’s use the new year as an opportunity to sit with all of those feelings, and take some time for meaningful reflection before setting goals for 2022:
What moments stood out to you this year?
Think back over the last year–what were the big moments? The happiest moments, the saddest moments, the most exciting moments, the most overwhelming moments, etc. All of those peaks, no matter if they were pleasant or unpleasant, are worth looking at. What made you happiest? What made you the most unhappy? How can you take that knowledge and carry it into 2022 with you?
What did you learn about yourself?
You are not the same person you were a year ago. Imagine you from 2020 came knocking on your door today. What do you know about yourself that they haven’t learned yet? What moments taught you the most about yourself? What were you happiest to learn about yourself? What were you most surprised to learn about yourself this year?
What did you outgrow this year?
With growth often comes saying goodbye. When we give ourselves the freedom to grow and change with our life, we’ll start to notice that not everything is meant to last in your life forever. Some habits, some relationships, some jobs, or mindsets or coping mechanisms, or social behaviors, etc. serve us at one point in our lives, but then as we grow we find that they just aren’t helping or providing us with what we need anymore. That doesn’t mean they were a mistake or a waste of time, it just means it’s time to say goodbye. What did you outgrow this year? Did you give yourself a chance to say goodbye to it? Can you thank it for what it’s done for you, and release it?
How do you want to move more intentionally through 2022?
How can you take what you’ve learned about yourself through these reflection questions, and honor that knowledge as you move into 2022? What do you want your next year to hold? How can you achieve that?
If you’re looking for more support as you enter 2022, therapy can be a big help. Get in touch today to talk to one of our qualified therapists in Lake in the hills and Woodstock.
