Journal Practice for the End of the Year
I have always been an off and on journaler. One of these structured practices that I have been engaging in for years is an end of the year reflection. It helps me track my own progress each year and reflect on the ups and downs. It helps show me how much I've grown and synthesize lessons that I've learned. It has been so valuable to me, especially in filling the weird days between Christmas and New Year's.
Summarize Each Month
Although the most tedious part of this practice, I also find it the most fun. For each month, I write down a list of 1-3 highs and lows. I gather journals I've written in throughout the year and often have been phone near by to look through my photos and notes app. If you have other tracking apps for books, music, etc. these can be helpful too. I list favorite trips, foods, days with my favorite people. I also write down things I was struggling with whether work, health or family.
Key Lessons from the Year
Using my summaries, I find patterns of what made me feels happy, grounded, and whole. What made me feel stressed, anxious and worried? I summarize these into a list of lessons from this year. I also look back through journal entries to write particular insights that were important to me, maybe they're from my own head or maybe they're quotes from books or videos that have stayed with me. I record practices such as specific meditations or exercises that helped me feel better.
Goals for Next Year
Rather than traditional resolutions, I like to make a list of goals for various areas of my life. I try to have at least one goal for each category:
mental/emotional
physical
spiritual
social/cultural
financial
If there's an area in my life that feels like I need more attention and balance there, I may have more than one goal. I also often make goals of continuing practices I know to be helpful and want to make an effort to maintain.
If you've done this practice before, you can reflect on how you met the previous year's goals. Perhaps they will inform the way you make goals this year. Were you too ambitious or not challenging enough? Did life events change the way you'd be able to accomplish your goals? How can you sit with the disappointment or joy in the way things turned out differently?
Looking Forward to Next Year
Next, I make a checklist of things I am looking forward to in the coming year. This could include big trips, special life events (weddings, births, promotions, etc.), career advancements, hobbies you are hoping to make progress in, and so on. Throughout the year, I can go back to check each one off or see how plans have changed.
A Word to Embody Next Year
Each year, I select a word that I hope will represent next year. It may be word for an overall goal such as "peace" or "authenticity". It may be a hope for activities or event such as "fun" or "adventurous." Whatever direction you choose, go with your instincts, no need to spend too long finding the perfect word.
In next year's reflection, you can look back at the word you chose and see how it really fit. Would you change it in retrospect? Does it color your picture differently now?