5 Questions for New Year’s Reflection
2023 is over, welcome to 2024!
I love moments like this. There is something comforting about starting a “new” section of time in my life. I like to use moments like a new year, a birthday, or even the change of my kids starting a new school year to reflect on the past and set new goals for the future.
Reflecting on 2023
Reflection is a great tool that everyone has at their disposal (no subscription required!) and you can use it to see how you have grown as well as where you still want to see improvement in your life. If you want to start reflecting this year, there are five questions you can use to kickstart the process. You can even pull out a journal or download our free Reflection Guide at the bottom of this page and work through your reflections as you read!
1. What filled me?
As you look back on 2023, ask yourself what were the moments that made you feel full? Full can mean a lot of things; your life can be filled with great friends, it can be filled with love, days can be filled with laughter, fun, family, and excitement. Filled can mean anything you want it to be. This first question can ease you into the process of reflection by thinking back on some of your favorite, most peaceful and purposeful moments of last year.
2. What drained me?
Not every day is a great day. Feeling drained, tired, or “done” is a normal and almost universal experience. When you think about the things that drained you in 2023, don’t just reflect on the events that occurred, but how you interacted with them. Did you push through them, withdraw or shut down from them, or did you do something different? Considering the things that drained you can help you make a plan for the next year, especially if you expect some of those things to happen again.
3. What changed me?
For good and bad, change happens and is totally normal. If you are not used to reflecting, this can be a tricky question. Try to think back to who you were as the 2023 year began. Since then, what life changes have you experienced? Things like changing jobs, maybe moving houses or to a different city, the addition of a new family member, or even the loss of something. Then consider how your personality might have changed, your likes and dislikes, or you may have started a new habit.
4. What inhibits me?
This question is the flip side of change. What stopped you from making the changes you wanted to make last year? Things that inhibit you can be physical; things like medical or financial limitations. However, you can also be inhibited by things like fear, self-consciousness, and hopelessness. No matter what the things that inhibit you look like, it can be a powerful moment in reflection to name those things. The first step to removing those inhibitors is to recognize that they are in the way of you living your life the way you want to.
5. What inspires me?
It is fitting that, in the list of questions that cause us to reflect on the past, we end with the things that give us fuel to change. Asking yourself about what inspired you over the past year allows you to begin to dream about the things that are coming in 2024. Can you think of a person, an event, or even a story that you witnessed last year that helped you feel the need to make a change in your own life? If not from this past year, when in your past have you felt inspired to grow or change?
Let’s talk about setting goals!
Okay, now that you’ve had some time to think about last year, you have the tools you need to move forward! Before we dive in, though, I want to make a special note here. These goals are not graded. There is no due date. If you set a goal that you don’t hit in the time that you set for yourself, you don’t have to feel guilty about missing it. The goals we are talking about here are low-stakes, personal goals for growth — not a lifetime performance review!
If you feel ready to set goals for 2024, all you have to do is go back through these questions (or your notes if you’ve been writing while you read) and add thoughts about the future to each.
What filled me last year and how can I live a full life this year?
What drained me last year and how can I find more rest to be refilled after feeling drained?
(Hint: the previous question can be a huge help here!)What changed me last year and how can I continue to grow or address negative changes this year?
What inhibited my growth last year and how can I plan to overcome those inhibitors in 2024?
What inspires me and how can I use that inspiration as fuel for growth this next year?
Once you’ve answered those questions, find a few things you can start working on in the next few weeks. If you want to go deeper by setting more focused goals, you can pick a specific topic and go through this whole process with that one idea in mind.
Reflecting on the past and setting new goals is a great way to see growth this year. If you’ve read through this post and still find yourself wondering where to start or are uncertain about making a change this year, reach out to one of our licensed therapists at The Well Counseling Katy! We would love to help you find growth, rest, and success in 2024!
Percy Hudson, LPC-A
Supervised by Raikeya Collins, LPC-S
