The end of one year brings the beginning of another and, with it, the promise of a fresh start.
Many of us launch into a new year armed with a set of resolutions – but often not before conducting a simple reflective check list that can help you remember what 2012 was really like and can point you where you want to go in 2013.
Begin this four-step process by recalling what obstacles you overcame and what you accomplished in the year previous. If you did accomplish or create something, recognize it and give yourself credit for it. Remember, in any self-evaluation, it’s important to look not just at what you have done, but also important to consider how you got there.
Step two: identify what you learned in 2012 and how it changed you. We often fail to see how we grow and change in a calendar year. Taking a moment to reflect on change can often lead to a realization that you did learn and grow over the past year –sometimes in ways you could never imagine when the year began
Step three: Ask how satisfied are you? Regardless of how you rank your personal satisfaction, the answers to this very simple question can serve as a foundation for improvements in the new year.
Last, but not least, what’s missing from your life and what’s next?
Taking stock of the past year often yields surprises, especially a recollection of the small steps and accomplishments that go unnoticed on a day-to-day basis. Major life experiences are easily identified, but it is the small changes and tweaks you’ve made in your life that make you who you are and give you the wisdom to make well informed judgments and decisions into the new year and beyond.
