An idea (reflection)
Jerry Seinfeld once joked:
"My goal was to retire at 40. I have been partly successful . . . I reached 40."
😂
Unfortunately, getting older takes zero effort. It's a fact of life.
Getting older and wiser, that takes effort.
We often think getting older means we're getting better and wiser, but that's not the case. Sure, we have experience, but experience alone doesn't make us wise.
Reflected upon experience makes us wise.
As John Maxwell said, "Reflection turns experience into insights."
If you haven't yet cultivated a habit of deliberate reflection, I want to invite you to begin.
Most people don't reflect for two reasons:
- They don't schedule time to reflect, so it doesn't happen; or
- They don't know how to reflect
Now is the perfect time of year to begin a very simple practice of reflecting. If you don't already have a system for looking back at the end of the year, below is one I use. Give it a try.
It's a four step process:
- Calendar. Schedule 90 min - 2 hours on your calendar over the next few weeks. If possible, go somewhere that gives you a fresh perspective (a coffee shop, somewhere in nature, a restaurant, hotel lobby, or a comfortable place in your house). Here are a few items to bring with you:
- 💻 A notebook, laptop, or tablet for taking notes
- 📱 Your phone (put it on Do Not Disturb to avoid interruptions)
- 📘 If you have a journal, bring that as well
- Photo Review. Next, pull out your phone and go through your photos from 2024. This is always a lot of fun! I am blown away by how much happens in a year, and I'm always surprised by how much I forget. As you do this, take notes in your notebook, laptop, or tablet on things that stand out. Here are items I tend to write down:
- Big moments from the year (birthdays, weddings, funerals, trips, conferences, events)
- Small moments that stood out
- Moments that spark strong emotion, good or bad
- Key people you spent time with
- People you didn't spend as much time with as you expected
- Things you learned (books, experiences, etc)
- Journal Review. Next, if you have a journal, go through that and allow yourself to remember and recall your past year. What were you excited about? What were you worried about? What are themes from your year? If you don't have a journal, skip this step (and consider whether you want to start journaling in a small way to be able to reflect on this next year). I've been journaling for decades, and it has been an incredibly powerful tool for reflecting on -- and processing -- life. Journaling builds self-awareness.
- Capturing Insights. Our progress in life is often a product of our thinking, our relationships, and our habits, so the final step in this reflection system will be answering a few questions in these areas about our year.
- Gratitude question. Having looked through your photos and journal, what are you most grateful for from this past year? Try to list out 10 specific things, big or small. This is a great time to celebrate wins from the year!
- People questions. What relationships did you invest the most in last year? Which relationships do you wish you'd have invested more time in? (This will help you start thinking about the relationships you want to invest in for 2025)
- Growth questions. How did you grow this past year? What did you learn? This is a moment to think about your habits. Reflect on spiritual habits, intellectual habits, physical habits, and relational habits.
After a lot of deep reflection, I have five core values with a unique definition for each. As a bonus step, I find it powerful to reflect back on my year to see how well I lived out my core values. I think about my core values everyday, but I also like to do an annual review of them.
If you don't yet know your core values (or just have a vague sense of them), I created this course to help people clarify, define, and bring to life their core values. It has helped over 150 people and can be an incredible resource as you begin the New Year.
As you do this reflection process, I bet you'll be amazed at how many insights this will give you for 2025. You'll be reminded of how much can be accomplished in a year and more grateful for the small and big moments of life.
Whatever process you use, I just encourage you to keep building this reflection muscle. Even a small amount of time can give you powerful insights for living a more intentional life.
Start asking yourself these questions for 2025.
What events do you want to prioritize (and put on your calendar)?
What moments do you want to create?
How can you invest in your growth (books, events, hiring a coach, mentors)?
What relationships do you want to invest in?
I'm wishing you and your loved ones a wonderful end to 2024. Next week I'm excited to share some thoughts on planning for the year. 🎯 |
