Let's Get Ready to Look Back

When I first got a smartphone, I prided myself on the ability to respond to texts within the hour. My friends knew they were valued because they received a reply almost immediately.

This week, it seems like ten text messages arrive as I'm typing a response to another. Life is moving quickly, and the faster it moves, the more my anxiety builds. What if I forget something important? How can I be sure I'm making the most of "now" when I spend all of my time responding to the "then"?

The end of the year can be chaotic, accelerated by meaningful but forced family time, travel, and work projects. To ensure we're making the most of the year that was, while still preparing for the time to come, it is essential that we create space for year-end reflection.

If you've subscribed to this newsletter for a few years, you know I'm a fan of year-end reflection. This year, before I give my frameworks for reflection, we're going to talk through how to mentally prepare so we make the most of that reflective period.

Daily Wins

Start a note in your phone of wins you can remember from the year: shows you and your spouse have been to, things you found extraordinarily funny, or stories you have retold multiple times. These are the moments you'll want to recreate in the year ahead, and therefore, the moments you want to remember most.

Declutter

Start to dust and clean the small spaces you've left untidy throughout the year. This could be your garage, your sock drawer, or your email inbox. If you're still holding on to Taco Bell mild sauce packets from February, it's unlikely you'll need them. Decluttering now creates space for reflection later.

Make "No" a Habit

Even if it's just for the next six weeks, start making "no" a habit as the year comes to a close. Nothing creates space in your life more than the word "no."

In a few weeks, you'll want some space to reflect. You won't have it unless you start creating it now.

Fact

People who regularly reflect on their year are 23% more likely to achieve their goals the following year.

Action

Make it a point to tell someone "no" this week. Be sure you're still being kind about it!

Question

What is one thing from this year you don’t want to forget?

Quote

“We do not learn from experience… we learn from reflecting on experience.”

- John Dewey