How you can complete the year peacefully

The turn of the year is upon us. I always get a slightly queasy feeling after the Christmas holidays. A bit of melancholy because another year has passed, coupled with anticipation of everything that will come next year. And then I think to myself: "Oh, the turn of the year is ultimately just a normal day. Why make such a fuss?" And yet I still have the desire to start the new year fresh and motivated. Because the beginning of every year is like a small fresh start. New experiences, new opportunities. The chance to finally do everything better this year – at least that's what we always resolve to do... However, I think it's much more important to use the days between Christmas and New Year to reflect on the year than to start the new year with resolutions. That's exactly what I'm talking about today: how you can end the year peacefully and start the new one with renewed energy.

Reflecting on the year – in 3 steps

It's important to take time for your annual reflection. It's best to set aside half a day, or even a whole day if possible. If your time is more limited, a few hours will suffice. Your motivation is important to me: The annual reflection shouldn't feel like just another item on your to-do list that you can quickly tick off. You should dedicate yourself to it. wantto do something good for yourself. Because that's certainly the best motivation.

The following points are intended to serve as inspiration only. You don't have to answer every question in each step. You don't actually have to do anything. As always, the key is to pick what feels right for you. There are no the one right Opportunity to reflect on the year… So, disclaimer over. Let's get started!

Step 1 – What happened this year?

1.1

This is about collecting everything that has happened this year. Take a piece of paper and divide it into three columns. first column You should collect all external input in bullet points. This includes events and activities, seminars, concerts, training courses, etc. Hobbies you've (re)started or courses you've taken up should also be included in this column. Feel free to grab your pocket or phone calendar. You can also look through your social media or photo collection; we often capture important moments as photos or posts.
It's certainly best to keep the list chronologically. But it may be easier to record events as they occur to you and note the date or month next to the event.

1.2

In the second column Note how the circle of people you interact with has changed. Which new people have you met? Which people have left your life? As a short bullet point, you can note the relationship you have with each person next to their name. You can also add the reason for meeting them or for "leaving." z.B.”Susanne (name) – cooking class (reason for meeting) – new friend (relationship to this person)”. Of course, it doesn’t matter whether this column contains two or forty names!

1.3

The third column is for everything else that happened.What trips or vacations have you taken? Did you complete or start a degree or apprenticeship? Did you change jobs? Did a new steady partner enter your life? Or did your relationship break down? Here, too, it's sufficient to jot down bullet points.

Write down everything that comes to mind. This table should give you an overview. about everything that has happened in your life this year.

Step 2 – What caused me pain?

Perhaps you already find items on your previously compiled list that are associated with negative emotions: breakups, a layoff, the loss of a loved one, arguments, or other conflicts. What happened this year that made you sad? What were you struggling with? What do you think you did wrong? What hurt you? What negative things happened to you this year? What goodbyes did you have?
Write these things down on a piece of paper or in a notebook. There is great power in writing down all the things that concern usThis also applies if you want to reflect on the year. Thoughts swirling around in your head can be formulated. You see everything that was previously only in your head at a glance. This helps bring order to your thoughts. You'll also be more focused and concentrated when you write things down.

Allow your emotions

This second step probably doesn't feel quite as pleasant. Any emotions can come up, and that's perfectly fine! After all, life is a cycle of ups and downs, and every year both good and bad things happen. It's important to deal with the negative things, even if it can be painful. Only if we recognizeBy identifying what went wrong this year, we can emotionally distance ourselves from these events and come to terms with them. To reflect on and acknowledge the things you've written down, ask yourself the following questions:

• What can I learn from this?
• What part did I play in this?
• How/why did this happen?
• What opportunities have I missed, and why are these opportunities “missed” opportunities for me?
• What can I learn from this incident to prevent such a situation from occurring again?
• What feelings are associated with these events?

The two questions "What can I learn from this?" and "What feelings are associated with these events?" are particularly powerful and important. Take as much time as you need for this step.

Step 3 – What gave me joy?

If we focus on the negative, we'll naturally also focus on the positive. Ask yourself: What brought me joy? What made me happy this year? What opportunities did I recognize and seize? Which new people came into my life and enriched it? What events am I grateful for? What feelings come up in me when I think about these things?

Here, too, you can refer back to your list from step 1. As in the previous steps, write down everything that comes to mind.By the way, it's not important to have as many or more positive events as negative ones. Recognize the year for what it was.

After you have collected what made you happy this year, ask yourself another question: What can I do in the new year to allow more such events into my life? This point is important because it allows you to think one step further. No matter how small or large the actions or measures are that would bring you more of these joyful moments, write them down. They will open your eyes to new possibilities and help you recognize which moments make you happy.

Finally, consciously connect with the gratitude within you. Be grateful for everything that was, for everything that is, and for everything that is yet to come. Life has given you another year, and you have been able to learn a lot—through both painful and joyful experiences...

Reflecting on the year – Want even more inspiration?

If you haven't had enough yet or want to make reflection a regular activity next year, I have a few more ideas for you:

• The moment of happiness glass:
  Take an old jam jar and collect happy moments in it throughout the next year. Whenever something nice happens to you, or you do or create something you're proud of, write it down on a piece of paper and drop it into the jar. At the end of next year, you'll have the opportunity to recall all of these moments and rejoice in them.
• The monthly review:
  You can also convert the annual review described here into a monthly review. To do this, take an hour at the end of each month next year to answer and write down the questions collected above. This will strengthen your awareness of your own life. This review can also help you optimize your daily life and invite more moments of happiness into your life.
• The vision board:
  While this exercise isn't directly intended to reflect on the year, it's a great way to let your creativity run wild. It's a lot of fun and will get you started on the new year motivated and full of energy. Take a large piece of cardboard, a pinboard, or a similar surface and pin up pictures that illustrate your dreams and wishes. You can cut out pictures from magazines or print photos from the internet. You can then place your vision board somewhere you'll see it every day. It will continually remind you of your wishes and goals and increase your motivation.

What ideas do you have for reflecting on the year? Are you looking forward to next year?

If you would like to learn more about healthy eating, mindfulness or sustainability, Check out more exciting blog articles on these topics here.