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With the new year comes a time for reflection. It's also a time to redefine your goals. 2020 was a year of challenges, but also of resilience.
Although we are unaware of the challenges that lie ahead, we have all shown resilience in trying to move forward in our lives despite everything, whether physically, personally, professionally, emotionally or socially.
As we reflect on our goals for this year, we must consider lessons learned from the past to shape future opportunities. Follow these three essential steps to start the year on the right foot: reflect, recharge, and rebuild.
To reflect on
The past year has been unpredictable and disrupted everyone's lives in many ways. Reflecting on the various scenarios that have unfolded, and those that are still unfolding, can be a way to elevate your thinking. You may have experienced professional challenges, financial difficulties, health issues, or the loss of a loved one... or you may have simply felt the onslaught of bad news around the world as a terrible psychological weight. Perhaps this is also the case for someone close to you. While it is essential to move forward, and even if you haven't necessarily experienced the same challenges as those around you, it is important to understand that you are not alone in this journey.
Reflection isn't just about the beginning or end of the year; it's often synonymous with a fresh start. It's the perfect time to analyze your lifestyle, the challenges you've faced, and how you've addressed them: it's a perpetual cycle. By reflecting on what has left a lasting impression on you, looking at your photos, or rereading your journal, asking yourself the right questions can help you reconsider how you've overcome challenges with resilience and reflect on any events that have held you back.
What have you accomplished this year? It doesn't have to be big projects. Finding time for yourself, nurturing relationships, or pursuing a hobby are all achievements. On the other hand, gaining professional recognition, losing weight, or checking a task off your to-do list are all wonderful accomplishments! Congratulating yourself is absolutely crucial in your journey of reflection. 1
Next, take your reflection a step further. Ask yourself what feelings, actions, and thoughts accompanied these accomplishments. Remember how difficult things sometimes seemed! Reflecting on your accomplishments isn't just about celebrating your successes. It's also about paying attention to the challenges and struggles you overcame, as well as the perseverance and resilience you demonstrated. Celebrate each of the steps that led to your success.
Each of these steps in your reflection will allow you to discover how much you have changed over the past year and what you have learned about yourself.
Recharge your batteries
“New year, new me” is a popular saying at this time of year. Indeed, it’s the perfect time to recharge and transition from the past year to the year ahead. Recharging means identifying your needs and meeting them. Self-care starts with precisely that. What do you need to keep moving forward? Don’t immediately think about what’s next; instead, consider what your body and mind need to get back to their optimal shape, both now and in the longer term.
You need more than massages or spa treatments. In fact, sometimes it takes effort, even doing things you don't want to do. Make necessary medical appointments, declutter your home, sort through all your paperwork (and throw out any you don't need), and take time to do some housework like reorganizing your kitchen or tidying up your garage. By silencing that frivolous voice inside you that's urging you to give in to your every whim, you'll be able to better listen to the voice that's telling you what you really need to move forward.
Once these tasks are completed, you can enjoy more enjoyable activities such as sleeping in, getting a massage, taking an essential oil bath, spending the evening listening to your favorite music or watching your favorite series.
Rebuild yourself
Now is the time to rebuild yourself. This step is easier to implement once you've given yourself time to reflect and taken care of yourself first (by recharging your batteries). Rebuilding yourself means choosing your top priorities and carefully deciding how you'll use the remaining time. Identify something you wanted to do, try, or discover last year (or years before), but weren't able to. Does it still resonate with you?
Focus on what brings you joy and energizes you, then find ways to make more room for those things in your life. If you want more free time, make a list of everything that isn't essential to your financial or personal well-being. Perhaps you want to foster inner peace and harmony. In this case, choose to organize your free time around activities that contribute to that, such as taking a weekly walk in nature, practicing yoga daily, spending time with a special friend once a month, or simply spending some quiet time just for you.
Reflect, recharge, and rebuild: you'll be ready to face whatever 2021 throws your way. 2 It's time! We all realize that good ideas aren't always easy to integrate into our lives. Let's do our best to focus on the positive things around us, including the millions of extraordinary individuals who make up our communities. Life is cyclical, and we're entering a new era; the deck is being reshuffled. Some wise people are calling it the Age of Aquarius. We're here to enjoy life, so let's go!