Have you given yourself time to reflect on your year?

You've probably achieved a heck of a lot more than you've realised. You've also learned a tonne of valuable lessons along the way.

But sadly, most people don't create the space or time to reflect on this. Or if they do, it's over a brief conversation during celebrations.

Given how quickly time flies, it's easy to get caught off guard trying to orient yourself for what comes next without understanding what you've actually accomplished and learned.

If this sounds like you, here's what I recommend you do to make sure you don't waste another year of valuable experiences.

1. Create Space To Reflect

Firstly, get out of your house.

Seriously.

Changing your environment acts as a "circuit breaker" from your routine, allowing your brain to tap into more creative thinking rather than your every day "go-go-go" thinking.

My partner and I have made it a priority to get away during this period. This is our chance to pause, reflect, and discuss the significant events from the year that would've otherwise been overlooked.

I recommend either an affordable AirBnB staycation for a few nights:

Or book a few nights at a campsite in a beautiful region near you.

2. Structure Your Reflection

"We do not learn from experience...we learn from reflecting on experience."
— John Dewey

I knew the importance of reflecting, as I had been doing it with my daily journalling habit.

But I had no clue where to start when reflecting on an entire year.

Fortunately, entrepreneur and online writer Sahil Bloom shared an article called The Personal Annual Review that includes 7 powerful questions he's used for over a decade to consciously reflect on annual experiences as a catalyst for growth.

Here are the 7 questions:

  1. What did I change my mind on this year?
  2. What created energy this year?
  3. What drained energy this year?
  4. Who were the boat anchors in my life?
  5. What did I not do because of fear?
  6. What were my greatest hits and misses?
  7. What did I learn this year?

If you prefer writing your responses on paper, Sahil also created a free PDF download that guides you through each of these questions with more detail and thought-starters.

Link to Download

3. Share and Discuss

I recommend going through this activity with a growth-minded person in your life for greater accountability and feedback.

This could be a partner, close friend or mentor.

Someone who knows you well and will give you supportive and honest feedback to help you shape your priorities in the future.

So in summary:

  1. Create Space — get out of your house and into an environment for reflection.
  2. Structure It — use the 7 questions from The Personal Annual Review.
  3. Share & Discuss — link up with a growth-minded person in your life to share and discuss.

And remember:

Experience + Reflection = Growth

Mamba