I’m not a big fan of yearly reviews and New Year’s resolutions. I’m a believer in the kind of ongoing self-reflection that leads people to ask themselves: “How am I doing?” Why wait an entire year to celebrate life? I think people should enjoy life and express their gratitude on a regular basis.

Try it now. Just stop what you’re doing, wherever you may be, close your eyes, and take deep breaths for 30 seconds.

Good. Now ask yourself how you were doing and what you were doing a year ago? How fast-paced was your life? Take a moment to think about it.

If you had to choose one word, just one word, to describe your year, what would it be? Write it down and do a little brainstorming session with yourself on what the word means (qualifiers, values, images). What does this word symbolize in terms of how your year went?

Reflecting on whether or not we’ve achieved our annual goals can lead to feelings of loneliness and guilt. When we think about all the things we procrastinated over, gave up on, decided were or were not such great ideas, and never accomplished, it’s easy to conclude that we came up short and then get depressed and down on ourselves.

This mini-questionnaire is a great tool for reflecting on 2013 in a way that won’t damage your self-esteem. You just need to pick a comfortable place that you find inspiring and take the time to look at yourself, but in a non-judgemental, sympathetic way. After all, we aren’t here to beat ourselves up! Be sure to engage your creative side as well: you could jot down your thoughts in a beautiful journal or create a scrapbook using colourful crayons, images and stickers.

Self-Reflection Questionnaire 

2013 in review:

  • What highlights, breakthroughs and “aha moments” marked the year? How will you celebrate these milestones?
  • What were your low points and disappointments? What things should you let go of?
  • To what extent were your expectations met and your goals reached?
  • What did you learn about yourself that is worthy of being celebrated and recognized?
  • What would you like to accomplish before the end of the year?
  • What things in your life are you grateful for? Make a list.
  • What things are you willing to release because they no longer serve you?
  • What things will you continue doing next year because they worked for you this year?
  • How will you celebrate the stroke of midnight on December 31st?

Next year, I suggest you do this self-reflection exercise at regular intervals for each of your goals/projects instead of doing a general self-reflection exercise every month or three months.

Don’t forget to celebrate life and be good to yourself. This should be No. 1 on your to-do list! There are no good or bad times to do this. Just follow your heart!

Now, make a list of 25 things you can do regularly to celebrate your life and remind yourself that you’re an amazing human being. Here are a few examples:

 

Life isn’t a race, so take it easy as you now envision…2014:

  • What future do you see for yourself (ask your inner leader and his team – see the “Start by investing in yourself” article [July-August 2012 issue of Opt!k])
  • Who will you become, and what do you want to express, in 2014?
  • Is there anything in particular that you’d like to accomplish in 2014?
  • What will you let go of?
  • In what parts of your life do you want to take back your power?
  • What will be your theme for 2014?
  • And so forth…

Once again, be thoughtful as you reflect on these questions, but don’t create an endless to-do list that won’t make a difference in your life. Just write down three things that express what matters most to you. Ask yourself what is the value of these three things?

Serious self-reflection takes courage and honesty. You have to be willing to challenge your comfort zones and to ask yourself how they serve you. You also have to surround yourself with people who will support your goals and check in with yourself often to see how you’re doing. Remember to take care of yourself and to see the opportunity in every challenge. And if you ever find yourself both afraid and excited, then it’s a sign that you’re on the right path!
These are my top five simple truths that guide my life:

  •  Stay in the present moment
  • Invest in yourself (body, mind, soul …)
  • Interrogate your comfort zones – are they useful to you?
  • Focus on the things you really want versus what you do not want.
  • Set an intention by day

 

From my heart to yours, may you have a fulfilling and inspiring 2014!

I invite you to leave your comments!

Christine Lecavalier