Public Service Announcement for Winter
December 13, 2023
Reflect on Your Story
January 3, 2024
It is almost next year. How are you doing? The word “hectic” has been coming up in conversation. I hope you are finding some peace during this busy time. When you get a minute, review your last year. There is no magic to getting it done before you turn the page into January, but doing it around the change of the year allows you to consider your intentions for next year.
Read last year’s calendar like a novel. The weeks that went as planned, the surprise events, the highs and lows. Take time to reminisce. How did you, as the hero of your life story, manage this past year? What aspects of this story do you want to carry with you into the new year? Note things that you want to do more of, learn about, or avoid.
You don’t get to rewrite last year, but you can consider how things ended up falling into (or out of) place and what you can learn from your own narrative. Here are some questions to consider.
When were you most happy?
What settings, characters, or events cause your face to light up in a smile as you reminisce? Figuring out what made you happy allows you to be more deliberate about setting the stage for happiness in the coming year.
How did you manage the difficult times?
There are so many healthy ways to cope with tough times. Did you approach or set boundaries? Did you reach out for help or take time away to reflect? Step right up to the challenge or step back to see if the problem will resolve itself? Dig in to resolve the situation or decide to walk away? The goal is not to second guess yourself, but to learn from the choices you made at the time.
Where do you feel gratitude?
As you read through your year keep a tally of things you feel grateful for over the past year. If you keep a gratitude list what are your frequent flyers? Pay attention to the little things that are easy to take for granted. Noticing what causes you to feel gratitude allows you to build more of that into your life.
Reading through the story of your last year gives you the chance to see yourself at a distance. I hope that you find much to feel grateful for and many sources of happiness. In places where the story was hard, I hope you also see your courage in action and the people who were there to help you. As we move into the new year, we will look at how you can use your resilience skills to build hope and to thrive.
Peace,
Laura A. Gaines
To learn more, explore learnmodelteach.com for tools, videos, and coaching opportunities.
