Wow! The very last Monday of 2024! Truly hard to believe, but that's what the calendar says.
I have shared with you before that I am not much of a New Year's Resolution person. However, I do think there is something to be said for paying attention to the natural rhythms and seasons of our lives, which means the turning of the page to a new calendar year is a good time for some reflection. And while I think there are appropriate times to reminisce just for the sake of it, most of the time I think taking time to reflect is best done with an eye toward tomorrow.
With that in mind, on this final Monday of 2024 I offer you:
Back For Forward
If you were to take some time this week to review 2024, what would stand out? What were the major joys and sorrows you experienced this year? Were there significant changes or milestones you reached? If you were to characterize the entire year with a simple word or phrase, what would it be and what kind of feelings does it evoke in you? If you took a different approach and you gave 2024 a score on a scale of 1-10, what would it be and why? What are all of the elements that contributed to that score and how do you feel about it in general?
These questions are just simple prompts to help you reflect Back and get some perspective on where you have been and what has happened this past year. Certainly, some of it has been in your control, but most likely there are lots of things that happened that weren't in your control, but that you had to deal with anyway. Regardless of the circumstances, by looking Back, we get to put this past year into some objective perspective - to see it for what it has been and allow it to simply be what it was (since we can't do anything to change any of it now anyway!).
Now that we've taken some time to look Back, and given the fact that we can't change any of it now, part of why I like to look Back For Forward is because 2025 is currently wide open! I can't do anything about yesterday, but I can certainly make some decisions or determinations about what I want to do moving Forward.
So, with your objective perspective of 2024 in mind, what would you like to focus on in 2025? Is there something you want to adjust or approach differently this year? Is there a relationship you want to give different energy toward (this is another whole post for later, but shifting the way we use our energy in relationships is powerful). When you think about the things that happened last year that you didn't have any control over, and knowing there will certainly be more things this year you don't have any control over, what kind of intention would you like to set for yourself in responding to those circumstances when they arise, and how might that involve a shifting in focus as you move Forward?
I can't remember what movie this is from (I'm sure someone can help me remember), but there is a scene where two parents are dropping their son off at school and one of them says, "Have a good day!" and the other parent says, "That's too much pressure." So, the first parent then calls after the son, "Have the day you are going to have!" While I like that sentiment in general, and it would be easy just to call out, "Have the year you're going to have!" I think by taking some time to reflect Back For Forward, we can enter this new year with a little bit more determination and intention than just letting the year unfold whatever it may bring.
Here's to taking some time this week to reflect Back For Forward!
All The Best,
Stephen
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