2023 Year-End Reflection
How was 2023 for you?
I thought it would be nice to look back and see how 2023 was for you.
I designed this year-end reflection exercise for myself several years ago, and it has been my ritual every year.
It has helped me reflect, memorialize significant moments, express gratitude, and improve myself in the following year.
I would like to share this exercise with you.
Here we go.
Please find a quiet place to sit.
Prepare a pen and a paper.
Answer the following questions.
What are your top 3 favorite memories/moments from 2023?
If you have photos of those moments, please print them out and post them on your wall or social media or share them with us here.
If you don't have photos, it's ok. If you like, you can draw, paint, sing, or write to depict those moments.
Your photos or artworks will help you get through tough times in 2024.
What are the top 3 regrets you have in 2023?
Are they something you can work on next year?
If so, please include them in your 2024 plan.
If not, it's ok. No need to feel guilty. Focus on what you can do next year.
What are the top 3 accomplishments you made in 2023?
Congratulations!
You should be proud of yourself!
Make sure to celebrate your accomplishments properly with your favorite people.
Who are the top 3 people you feel grateful for in 2023?
Make sure to email, text, or send holiday cards to them to express your gratitude.
They will appreciate it.
What are the top 3 lessons you learned in 2023?
Please write down the 3 lessons on a piece of paper and post it on your wall or social media, or share it with us here.
They will help you improve yourself in 2024.
What are the top 3 things you want to see happen in 2024?
How are you going to make them happen?
Please prioritize and create an action plan for each.
Depending on your goals, an action plan can be short and vague or very detailed. There is no right or wrong.
Write an action plan that expresses what you like to see happen next year, but keep it flexible.
Leave some room for unexpected life surprises.
Life is constantly changing.
Plans can change.
Remember what you planned last year, what you hoped to happen and what has actually happened this year.
Were you able to accomplish everything you had planned last year?
If you did, well done!
If you didn't, it's ok.
I did not accomplish everything I had planned for this year, either.
Don't feel guilty about it.
Don't feel anxious about it.
Things can happen, like family emergencies or personal matters that are not within our control.
What matters is that you do what you think is the most important thing at that moment. Then, the rest of the things will fall into place naturally in time.
Do not sweat the minor interruptions in your life.
If you have a clear purpose, life will guide you to where you are supposed to be.
Just find your purpose in life first and keep going towards that direction. (I will share how to find your purpose in life in an upcoming post – Stay Tuned!)
For right now, let’s focus on 2023, and all we have accomplished!
Let us celebrate our successes as we close out 2023 and welcome a brand-new 2024 with all its opportunities!
👍