It’s timeeeeee!
For the annual reflection and resolution
December is my favorite month of the year.
It’s packed with celebratory festivities and funs, and rituals that represent the best things about life (e.g. rewatching classics like Harry Potter, Elf, Love Actually, Die Hard, etc. with a cup of hot cocoa in hand.)
It’s also the month that leads to renewal, the January that represents a new start, do-over, and hope.
Annual reflection and resolution planning is one of those rituals I look forward to the most in December.
Usually, on the weekend after Christmas, I make myself a cup of tea, sit down with papers and pens, put on a youtube video with burning log or a playlist of holiday hits, then dive into 2-3 hours of writing full of reflections, brainstorming and planning.
(This year I did it the 1st weekend of December as I’m planning and traveling back to Taiwan, my hometown, for our wedding banquet during that usual weekend post Christmas.)
4-steps I’ve been following the past 4 Decembers
Reflection Stage
what are the highlights of the year, and why?
what are the lowlights of the year, and why?
what are my learnings from them? (how did they uplift you, drain you, or how could you have done differently?)
(intermission. bio break, drink some water, put on another playlist)
Synthesis Stage
On a empty paper, draw a “spider chart” that comprises of 8-10 axises with 10 marks on each axis
Write down one thing that represent an aspect of your life at the end of each one of the axis. For example, I have “Mental Health”, “Environment”, “Personal Growth” on my chart.
For each of the axis that represent your life, score your level of satisfaction on the 10-mark line
Next to your score, write down 1-3 reasons that contribute to your score
Then write down another 1-3 things that you think can help move your score up
Pause and look at your chart, what stories or insights is it revealing? What feelings and thoughts are coming up for you? These are the signals for the next stage
Give this past year a theme.
Bonus step: compare the score from the previous year which could reveal interesting insights. For example, “Fun” axis increased +3 from ‘20 to ‘22 given intentional efforts in allowing more creative activities (see my previous post about “being worthy of fun”.)
(intermission. grab a cookie, make another cup of tea, stretch)
Intention Setting Stage
Reflecting on your feelings and thoughts from the previous stage, which ones of the axises/aspects would you like to focus on?
Are you ready to tackle all of these axis, or are yo ok with just focusing on a few things? (I used to strive for a balanced chart, but after capturing myself thinking “I’m tired” while looking at a similarly scored spider chart, I’ve become more intentional with having 1-3 priorities vs doing it all)
In each of your chosen aspect and the 2-6 things you had written down, circle the ones you’d like to focus on for 2024. Consider your resources, strengths, and values to help decide
Looking at the things you’ve written down, what is one word or the feeling that comes to mind? Write that down as your intention for 2024.
Goal Setting Stage
On another paper, re-write the things you circled earlier as goals you’d like to achieve, following SMART format (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-bound)
For every goal, write down one thing you can do every week that would contribute to achieving your goal. These are leading indicators that’ll lead to your accomplishment. For example, “go to gym 3 times per week” leads to “be healthier and stronger physically”
Bonus step: put a recurring 30-min block on Fridays on your calendar as a reminder to schedule the actions and review your progress
There you have it! Do you have a routine that you follow for reflection and resolution? What is your favorite ritual, question, or process you follow?
Comment or email me for a FREE workbook with the above prompts to help you do your own reflection & planning in the coming days!
