End of the year reflections – With the Help of Christian Counseling

By Bellevue Christian counseling

As we are in the midst of the holiday season and the calendar shows us that it is December, we are reminded that the year is coming to an end. The Christmas season can become very busy with buying gifts, attending parties and getting things done on the to do list. In the midst of the busyness, it is important to take some time to slow down and reflect.

This time provides space to think about what has happened this year, the highlights and the low points. If you enjoy journaling, this would be a great topic to journal about. Also, once you have it in writing you can read it next year and see the ways that you have changed. Maybe it would be helpful to reflect over this year in a conversation with your spouse or a close friend.

 Here are some questions to ponder:

What are some challenges you faced this year?

Think about how you handled difficult situations that came up. What did you learn in that process? What would you do differently? What skills did you gain from those situations?

What accomplishments are you most proud of? Think about how you were able to make those goals happen. Who supported you? Did you take time to celebrate?

How are your relationships?

Think about the people who are closest to you in your life.  Are you investing in them? How have those relationships grown over this last year?

What’s your work/life balance look like?

Look over your weekly calendar and see where you are spending your time. Are you using it wisely? Are there activities that you need to cut out so that you have more time to spend with the people in your life?

Did you make goals for this past year? Were you able to meet them? What contributed to your success in meeting them? What hindered you?

As you think over these questions, it will give you an idea of what this last year looked like for you in the areas of  relationships, work, and your personal goals. You may see a theme for this past year. It also allows you to see what you did this last year and celebrate your accomplishments.

With this information, you can think about the changes you want to make for the upcoming year.

Image cc: freedigitalphotos.net a 2012 calendar stock photo by Ansorm P nachol