Before you set your intentions for 2021 (and don’t worry, it’s definitely not too late if you haven’t – we’ll talk more about it next week!), it is important to reflect back on 2020. And while we were as excited to watch the clock strike 12 on New Year’s Eve as anyone last week, we also know that 2020 wasn’t ALL bad. Looking back, there were lessons that we learned and even some positive experiences of gratitude to reflect on.
Why Look Back?
To See How Far You’ve Come
12 months is a long time. Did you start a new hobby in 2020? Learn how to start cooking? We bet you’re way better at it now than you were in the beginning! Take time to appreciate the progress that you’ve made. Did you shift a habit? Change a mindset? Start a new business? Regardless of how big or small, we are constantly learning and evolving. Take note of the process and congratulate yourself on how far you have come.
To Recognize the Lessons Learned
2020 had its fair share of setbacks. It’s hard to imagine anyone that could have gone untouched. But through the hardships, were you able to learn something about yourself? Are you more resilient than you ever imagined? Do you love working from home? Did you realize that you want to live closer to family? Or farther away? (haha, just kidding!) Take some time to write down the things that you learned about yourself as a person and the lessons that 2020 taught you. Both for yourself and for history — we lived through an event that hasn’t been seen in a century. The lessons that you took from last year will stay with you, why not record them for posterity?
To See What Still Needs Work
And finally, looking back provides a starting point for setting your intentions for the year ahead. If there were habits or goals that weren’t realized in 2020, then 2021 is another new chance to make them happen. As you develop goals for 2021, you can look to the past for ideas on what you still would like to work on. Or, you can use the past to realize that you are a completely different person today than you were a year ago, and your goals and intentions for 2021 may have changed with that!
Whatever you discover, you will be able to grow and evolve from here. Here’s to a Happy New Year!
Want more New Year inspiration? Check out Zak Foster Asks, Is Beauty Enough?
