How To Efficiently Reflect On Your Year

Can’t believe the year is almost over? Neither can we! 2018 came and went so fast. For some people, this year was challenging but saw tremendous growth. For others, it was their best year ever. No matter how 2018 treated you, looking back on your year will help you gain a new perspective on yourself and your goals. Here is how to efficiently reflect on your year:

Take some time to yourself

In order to properly reflect on your year, it’s best that you set aside some time to yourself. 30 minutes to one hour to be alone will suffice but feel free to take as much time as you need. If you want, you can write down all your thoughts on the past year in a journal, word doc, spreadsheet, or just a regular sheet of paper.

Think back month by month

The easiest way to reflect on this year, its to take small bits. Start with January and work your way to the current month. Think back on any goals you set for yourself for those months. Take note if you made any quarterly or six-month range goals too.

Go over what worked and what didn’t

Honestly, ask yourself a series of easy and tough questions. Did you accomplish your goals each month? If so, what did you do to accomplish it? Don’t forget to look at the things you didn’t get done this year. This is where the real growth begins. It’s easy to look at the things that went well but we grow by learning from our mistakes. Ask yourself, “why did this goal not work out?”. Was it due to laziness? Lack of motivation? Once you go through what went well versus what didn’t work out this year, you will be right on track to having a better chance at accomplishing that same goal next year but with a fresh perspective.

Be easy on yourself

Now that you gave yourself an honest look at your year, now you have to remind yourself to not beat yourself up about what went wrong. We can’t expect for everything to pan out exactly the way we want them to. Try not to feel guilty, shameful, or self-pity. Tell yourself that you did your best and celebrate the achievements you did make.

Plan for the year ahead

Last but not least, start planning for the following year. Consider your personal goals but also career/finance and relationships goals. Take another look at the things that didn’t pan out this year and see what you can do differently next year. This is a wonderful way to spark motivation within yourself before the year finally comes to a close.

2018 may be almost over but you still have time to squeeze in a few more goals. When you’re done, take a minute to reflect on your achievements and learn from your past. Your next year self will thank you for it.