With the potential of living for a whopping 100 years, having a bad year is perfectly normal. However, reflecting on the rather mediocre (or even horrible) year can bring many negative feelings and emotions. Whether you’ve been dealing with financial problems, personal struggles, suffered a loss, lost a job, or made a couple of mistakes, you’re not alone.
While it may feel uncomfortable, it’s essential to come to terms with the fact that the year was incredibly underwhelming. Think about the challenges you faced, close the door on the year, and then look forward to the next year with optimism.
But with the holidays and the end of 2022 quickly approaching, now is the time to pick ourselves up and sweep everything that happened under the rug. Also, it doesn’t hurt to wish for a better 2023 every time the clock reads 11:11.
So, how do we pick ourselves up and move on after a bad year?
Self-reflection is essential, but it shouldn’t be where all of your focus lies. Start your annual-self reflection by jotting down a list of the events that happened—both good and bad. Include any mistakes you made, emotional experiences you had to endure, personal and professional accomplishments, the places you visited, and the people you met.
Then, spend some time reflecting upon what each of these events or experiences meant to you. Think about the lessons you learned and the positives that came out of each negative. It’s crucial that you approach this activity with compassion for yourself and that you can forgive yourself for any of the mistakes you made. Remember, mistakes are an inevitable part of life.
Next, you want to look ahead to the future and reflect upon the lessons you’ve learned that you wish to apply to the following year. Ask yourself these questions:
- What sorts of things do you envision for your personal and professional life?
- What do you want to do differently in 2023?
- What do you want to achieve?
On a separate piece of paper, because we don’t want the lousy year getting in the way of the next, write a list of what you’d like 2023 to look like. By jotting all these goals down, you can work toward manifesting each one.
Always remember that life is precious, so don’t forget to live in the moment. When you’re busy at work and in your personal life, it’s easy to get caught up in going through the motions. But this can lead to detachment and little self-fulfillment. Instead, appreciate every happy moment and victory, and make decisions confidently.
Once you’ve completed this self-reflection activity, you’ll be able to welcome the New Year with open arms. Thankfully, with the beginning of a blank calendar comes new opportunities and a fresh start.
If you’ve noted “get support and inspiration from like-minded women” to your self-reflection list, join our sisterhood today!
 year can bring many negative feelings and emotions. Whether you’ve been dealing with financial problems, personal struggles, suffered a loss, lost a job, or made a couple of mistakes, you’re not alone. ){kind=link}