You’ve achieved a lot this year. Especially in these odd, to say the least, times. And maybe you didn’t reach some of your goals or even forgot what some were. Sounds like you’re ready for a year end reflection.
The end of the year is the perfect time to evaluate, take stock, and think about all of the awesome things you did this year (and some of the things you wish you’d done better). By ending the year consciously, you’ll be able to start next year off baggage-less and take positive steps toward your dreams.
Here are five steps to make sure you end your year in a sacred and conscious manner, even if you didn’t live every day of your year that way (hey, you’re only human).
Your Year End Reflection
1) List all of your accomplishments
This is pretty obvious as to why you would do this: to feel pride in yourself for all that you did in your year. Every time we start with this first step, we are blown away by the things we get to remember. Please, treat yourself to remembering all you accomplished. If you didn’t take time to feel proud throughout the year, do it now. You deserve to relish each thing on this list and the totality of it! We promise, even if you think you already know what you’ve accomplished, you won’t really be present to it until you try to write a long list.
2) Ditto failures
This one might hurt a little, but it’s part of the process. Think of it not as a list of reasons why you are to blame, but an accounting of the stuff you wanted to see happen, but for whatever reasons, didn’t.
3) Write what you want to account for about it all
Who deserves credit for supporting your successes? Who are you still blaming for failures? Where are you still being a bit of a chicken/brat? There are going to be conversations you have to have, with others and with yourself. There will be opportunities to realize that circumstances were beyond your control for certain goals. You either did the best you could at the time you made these goals or didn’t. Own your failures, including what you wish you would have done differently specifically, so nothing goes down as a “general comment” on your worth. Forgive yourself for the choices you made that were not optimal. Plan new promises to head off similar mistakes in the future.
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4) Do a ritual to burn it all symbolically
This might sound a little like woo woo or voodoo, but we promise it is powerful. Create something that symbolizes your failures. You could write them on slips of paper, make a collage, or just use your list. Then, burn it. (Of course, please choose a safe place to burn your items.) A staffer here who had been dissatisfied for months with her real estate agent burned a copy of her contract. A little over a month later, the house sold and she was finally done with her agent! The advantage of the burning ritual: she felt immediately better. If you’d like to say a few ceremonial words during your ritual, feel free. Extra credit if you do this with other people. Doing it with your friends at a bonfire on New Year’s Eve could be fun!
5) Create your new year in a collage or vision board
This is our favorite part and it’s all the rage now. What you want in the new year should be compiled in visual form in your collage. You can use images from the internet or pages from magazines; some people do this entirely on their computers, though we like the experience of actually cutting out words and images. Probably you still want to accomplish most of the things on your failures list. Put them into your collage, MINUS any emotional clutter or bad vibes you’ve got about not having succeeded yet. Extra credit if you do this arts and crafts project with other people; you’ll inspire them and they will inspire you.
These ideas may seem simple or hokey, but they work. Ask anyone who has tried them. Please don’t vote until you have done them. Honor yourself by acknowledging what you did and didn’t do, clearly and boldly. Personal accountability always feels good. You’ll be amazed by how letting go of the past and creating the future will rock out your new year.