How to reflect efficiently
Updated: Mar 29
With the winter holidays around the corner more and more people at work tell me: “Relax, get some rest!”. On the other side, I was raised with the mindset that winter holidays are the most wonderful time of the year, that it’s all about family, friends and having fun together.
All right, sounds like a plan. Right?
But then your life partner reminds you about buying gifts, preparing the house for guests, and finding that special element which will make this Christmas unforgettable for the whole family. And then, there is that voice inside my head reminding me of the most popular conversation topics for the Christmas gathering:
How was your year?
What is your new year's resolution? Any big plans?
Winter holidays can be crazy busy
Who has time to reflect on how things went or make plans for the upcoming year with this kilometric task list? Winter holidays can easily get overwhelming and that’s why there are people who wish this period would pass as fast as possible.
I can understand that.
Today I want to share with you my 3 steps recipe for happy holidays and a great start of the year. I have been using it in the last 4 years, shared it with quite some friends already and we all worked towards improving it year after year.
We all want to have fun around winter holidays and we want to enter the new year with hope and excitement. So let’s make it happen!
How to be happy
Our secret is simple: take a break! Find some time to reflect on how the year went. You might say that reflection can make things worse sometimes, that it can take us into a dark space. For me, that’s not a reflection done right. It all starts from the purpose, WHY do we reflect? The answer and the overall mindset should be around:
Being grateful for all the good things we have in our lives;
Recognize our own achievements;
All those things that didn’t go well, who cares, that’s in the past! See it all as an improvement opportunity. If you want it, you can change it!
First two points lead to happiness and the last one builds on hope and excitement.
Self reflection is scary, but necessary for growth.
Step 1: Take a break
Take some time for yourself, find a place where you feel chill and comfortable. It can be home, a bar, or outdoors, in nature. You can be alone or with a close friend. It’s up to you as long as you empty your mind from all the things you need to get done and all negative emotions you might have gathered.
It’s the end of a long year, you deserve some time for yourself. If you feel like you need a break, nobody can tell you otherwise.
Step 2: Reflect on your year
First of all, reflecting without writing things down is not effective. It’s easy to lose your focus, or to start overthinking. Besides, it’s always great to be able to check your year overview later.
Once you’re ready, you can go through the questions below and write down the answers.
Write down all milestones in your past year. It doesn’t have to be a specific event, there can be moments when you have dealt with intense feelings, decisions or changes.
Write down all accomplishments and failures.
Next to each milestone, accomplishment or failure, write down how you felt in each moment. You can use the wheel of emotions below. Try to be as specific as possible with what you felt and try to understand why it impacted you this way.
Write down the improvement areas you have discovered in yourself and things that you neglected.
Think about what I would have done differently and why.
Write down all the things you are grateful for and why.
Step 3: Get feedback
After finishing the reflection, share your thoughts and findings with the person close to you in order to make sure that:
You were objective;
You didn’t miss anything important;
You get heard for recognition and support.
Once you finished these steps, you are ready for all Christmas table discussions, questions and sharing. Moreover, you will also be ready to start the new year happy, relaxed and excited for improving yourself and your life.
If you are interested into relaxing, recharging and reaching a deeper level of reflection, consider an escape in the Alps with Jungle Retreats. You will have the change to connect with like-minded people and boost your self-development.