I can’t believe it’s December already – it feels like I just got used to this being 2017. Has this year flown by for you, too?
This month can be such a busy time as we are wrapping up what we still want to get done this year in the midst of many holiday activities. It can also be a reflective time, as we are looking back at the past year and thinking about experiences we had that we want to cherish, lessons we learned that we want to carry forward and accomplishments that we want to acknowledge.
Many of us just skip the reflecting back part and jump into the planning for the next year. But taking a moment to look back is not frivolous. Taking just a little bit of time to think back can bring some interesting insights and may change the way we want to approach the coming year. Plus happiness research tells us that acknowledging ourselves and celebrating is critical to feeling happy about the goals that we are pursuing.
I found an interesting set of questions in this article: 31 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Setting Next Year’s Goals but found answering 31 questions to be overwhelming. They were designed so that one question could be answered on each day in December, but it’s hard to keep up that discipline, so I selected the 10 questions I found most interesting here.
I am planning to answer these questions as this year is drawing to a close before jumping into planning for next year and I invite you to join me!
- What was one of the most interesting things I learned this year?
- Who was one person I met that I’d like to get to know better? Why?
- What was one of my most challenging moments? Why?
- What was one of my favorite accomplishments?
- What was one personal strength I used this year? How did it benefit my work or life?
- What advice would I offer someone else on the basis of a lesson I learned this year?
- If I were writing a memoir, what would I highlight in the chapter about this year?
- What frustration seemed to come up again and again?
- What’s one thing I was a part of this year that I’ll remember for the rest of my life? Why?
- Of the books I read this year, which was my favorite? What do I want to remember from it?
Are you in?
Manuela loves helping smart and compassionate professionals create a career and life they love, while feeling more confident and fulfilled! You can visit Manuela’s Website for Career Happiness Coaching.