As this year is coming to an end, I always find it helpful to take some time to review the past year and take last year’s lessons to set effective new year’s goals. Reflecting on last year’s events, accomplishments, and lessons brings closure to the year. This activity helps me to end last year’s chapter and start with a clean slate.

I like to include the accomplishments, wins, and losses that served as a learning experience. All the events have an impact on us. 

• First, I like to be grateful for where I am. 
• Second, I look back on the past year’s events in wonder and awe. It’s hard to believe how far I have come this year with my running and business goals. 
• Third, I look to see how I can improve my future by taking unnecessary things from my schedule and improving my current activities. 

Why Reflect on Last Year?

Last year is gone. Right! It is past now. You cannot bring this time back and can’t use an eraser to undo the mistakes.

At the most basic definition, reflection is a careful thought. But the valuable kind of reflection involves the deliberate analysis of one’s beliefs and actions for learning. Reflection allows us to slow down, pause and sort through past experiences.

Reflecting on last year, you can learn important lessons and recognize behavior patterns. Listing previous year’s events allow us to identify the patterns in our reactions and will help us to enhance performance in the new year. Reflections serve as self-feedback for the last year. I recommend reflecting on the past year because it acts as a tool to improve your performance in the new year radically.

There is a paradox in life for faster improvement. To have a more significant impact in the future, we need to slow down and reflect on the past.

Reflect and Plan

Select your own reflection process. I like to write in a journal. If you don’t like journaling, that’s okay. Consider talking to a close friend, and going over the last year is a great way to reflect. You can use your friend’s feedback as well.

To help you reflect on your year, I have put together some questions and resources that can help you.

I like to put my last year’s events into three categories:

Successful – had a tremendous impact

Redundant –can be left behind

Developing – needs improvement

Questions to Ask

Here are some of my favorite questions for reflecting on last year:

• What accomplishments are you proud of this year?
• What significant life events or transitions did you go through this year?
• How did you take care of yourself this year? Mentally, physically, financially, and emotionally.
• What disappointed you this past year?
• What have you overcome this year?
• What are you most grateful for in the last year? 
• What mistakes are you still holding onto from the past year?
• What challenges do you still need to conquer?
• If you could change one thing in the last year, what would it be?
• What is the first word that comes to mind when you think of the past year?

So, grab a warm cup of tea and a paper to look at last year’s reflections, so that next year’s image projection is bright.