That's (Almost) a Wrap

 As we head into the last weeks of the year, we are often faced with a litany of to-dos and overly full calendars.  Finding time to reflect and absorb what the previous days, weeks, and months have brought us, and what we have accomplished since we turned the first page of this calendar year can feel difficult or like just another task to complete.  Despite feeling like added work, taking the time to reflect for a few minutes a day over the next few weeks can help bring a fresh perspective to the year ahead.

I started this practice two years ago on a whim, and although I felt like the year had not been a particularly memorable one, I found myself recalling big and small events and moments that I had all but forgotten.  I decided to focus on six areas of my life: Physical, Educational, Creative, Emotional, Spiritual, and Professional, and began to add items as they came to me.  Some headings had many entries while others were sparse, and that's okay.  There is no right or wrong with an exercise like this one - what I had hoped to uncover was where my energy and focus had been and where I could maybe use more focus in the year ahead.  There is also no need to use six categories - those resonated for me, but perhaps you might feel like two or three are more meaningful and important to dig into. 

I also did not use this exercise as a jumping-off point to set New Year's resolutions, as I do not believe in that practice.  I would much rather set intentions for the year ahead that are meant to guide me and help me navigate versus hard-line dos and don'ts that I feel obligated to uphold.  In my experience, there is no better way to achieve an outcome that is the complete opposite of what you are hoping for. 

The power of this exercise for me is in the clarity it provides.  Clarity on where my life is full (perhaps, too full), and where a rebalance might be required.  And maybe things are in balance already and this reflection is simply a way to ensure that balance is carried forward into the year ahead.  Either way, regular checkpoints on any long journey are always a good idea.  Even the slightest amount of drift can make the difference between arriving where you had hoped and finding yourself one day being quite off-course.  


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