Are you scratching your head about what New Year’s resolution you should set? Or watching everyone’s 2022 highlight reel and comparing with your own?
The end of a year and start of a new one can mark the beginning of exciting opportunities and new adventures. However, it can also be a source of worry. Reflecting on what you’ve accomplished the year before and what you haven’t yet ‘achieved’. What will you do different next year? What do you hope to do?
It’s left me thinking about a few things.
Reflecting on the past year
- Social media is a highlight reel – what happens in reality is often very different
- Comparisons aren’t useful for anyone, we are all on our own unique journies
- Sometimes what’s happened during the year can’t be shown – such as personal growth. Maybe you can’t post about an overseas trip, but maybe internally you’ve grown by leaps and bounds
- Appreciate yourself and how far you’ve come from the year before – maybe you’ve not achieved all you expected, but you’re still moving forward
- Look at the lessons learnt
Looking forward to the next
Time and the marking of years is a very human thing. No other living thing does it. Looking forward to the next year can sometimes feel like time is running out. What will you do now, what resolution will you set? Apparently only 9% of people keep their resolutions, so should we make one for 2023?
Perhaps we can approach 2023 with another perspective. Through self-reflection to look at our own journey. Then taking 2023 slowly, following what feels right for us, bit by bit.
Personally I’d like to approach 2023 in the following ways:
- Calmly
- With self-compassion
- Recognising rest as productive
- Celebrating personal growth
- Continue to learn how to set boundaries