“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest”- Confucius
We have just 10 days to the end of 2017 and we begin the new year. How do you prepare to start your new year? Do you start with making plans of how you will succeed in 2018? That was how I used to start my year, up till several years ago, when I started taking time to first reviewing and reflecting on how the year went, before planning for the new year. There is a big difference between a review – you list all you accomplished and perhaps some failures, but stop at just that.
An important step is also to reflect and learn from both your successes and failures of the year. You are able to review, reflect and learn by asking your self questions that will increase your self awareness. Self-awareness is what produces personal growth
The unexamined life is not worth living – Socrates
I was coaching a dear friend earlier in the week on how to move to his next level. When I asked some questions, he was unable to answer them because he was not used to asking and answering some deep personal growth questions. This may be the same with you. Asking and answering some deep personal questions takes a lot of practice. And as you know, practice makes perfect. The reason for the difficulty is as a lack of not tasking the brain to think deeply. The answer to most questions lies within you, but you really have to think, explore and write down your answers. It is in those times that you embark on a journey of self-exploration and discovery.
Some of the questions I will be asking myself and finding the answers to, as the year draws to an end include:
- In 2017, was I congruent with the person I know I should and can be?
- Was I engaged this year? Did I care for my days as much as I should have in 2017?
- Where could I have brought more intention and connection in 2017?
- Did I challenge myself in 2017? Or was I just comfortably gliding through?
- The most important goal that I achieved this year was:
- My biggest fitness accomplishment was:
- My biggest career accomplishment was:
- My biggest relationship accomplishment was:
- These are the skills I acquired this year:
- A big mistake that I made this year—and the lesson that I learned as a result—was:
- An obstacle or a challenge that I overcame this year:
- This year, I learned the following about myself:
- Here’s something I learned about other people:
- The most fun I had all year was:
- My best memory of the year was:
- My biggest regret of the year was:
- My biggest disappointment of the year was:
- The books I read this year were:
- My favorite movie of the year was:
- I adopted this new positive habit:
- I dropped this negative habit:
- Here’s how I grew emotionally this year:
- Here’s how I grew spiritually this year:
- The nicest thing someone did for me this year was:
- The nicest thing I did for someone else this year was:
- If I could change one thing about this year it would be & why:
- This year my physical health was:
- Here’s one adventure I had this year:
- One contribution I made to my community was:
- This year I spent a lot of time here:
- This year I broke out of my comfort zone by:
- My biggest time waster this year was:
- What I am most grateful for this year is:
- Here are three words that would sum up this year:
- If I could travel back to the beginning of the year, here’s some advice I would give myself:
I encourage you to schedule some time to answer some or all of the questions as well.
What other questions do you ask yourself at the end of the year?