The more I sit with a moment or event, the more I am able to draw out the lessons, wisdom or gratitude for that moment. In the hustle, rush and chaos of our everyday lives taking these moments to actually treat ourselves with some time can do wonders!
Stepping into next year with clarity, gratitude, and wisdom is something that many will forget to do amongst it all. Here’s to choosing to be mindful, to care about ourselves in order to serve others! Aho to that!

So, here we go!

Here’s some simple and very effective questions and exercises you can do by yourself or with a tribe of close friends. Just set aside some time so that you are present and not doing it amongst wrapping up last minute projects and things. Maybe set aside 1 hour to do it properly!

Make sure you be as creative and as YOU as possible for this. Draw, paint, write, sing or act out your responses. The more you put in, the more you get out! 🙂

Visualise the year that has been:
Take 10 minutes to meditate and start on the 1st of January to visualise yourself going through your year. Noticing any major events that come up and moments that stand out. As if you are playing a recording of your year back. What has your journey through this year been?

Hindsight – What happened this year?

If you were to list 4 core themes that represent this year for you, what would they be? (ie. presence, exploration, connection)
What are the top 10 things, people or events you are grateful for this year? (maybe you’d like to write them a little note?)
What 3 achievements for the year are you most proud about?
Which 5 people did you most enjoy spending time with?
What activities made you lose track of time?
Is there something you are upset about not happening or achieving this year? A goal that didn’t work out maybe?
Any new favourite sports, hobbies, interests?
Did you learn any new skills this year?
Did you create anything cool this year?
Any cool or funny compliments that you received and won’t forget?
Was there anything that happened this year that you wanted to have happened and didn’t even realise when it actually did?

Insight – What can you learn from this year?

What would you say is the most important lesson you learned this year?
Why are you most proud of what it is you wrote above?
Out of all the places you went or experienced, where did you feel most creative and productive?
What are the common traits among those 5 people you mentioned above? What type of people are you most in “flow” around?
Those activities that you lose track of time with, have you acknowledged these before? Do you have a regular time to do these?
How did you deal with not achieving that goal? Is there anything you would do differently next time life shows up different to what you expect?
Any activities you found yourself doing this year that really weren’t enjoyable and you wouldn’t like to do them again?
Is the way you operated your year in any regard in contradiction to what you believe your values are at all?
Looking back, what can you learn about how you managed and nurtured your:
i. Health?
ii. Relationships?
iii. Wealth?
iv. Career?
v. Creativity & Expression

Foresight – What seeds are you planting for next year?

Right now looking forward, what would you like your overarching theme to be for 2018? (ie. exploration, remembering, commitment)
What stands out as a key opportunity for personal growth next year?
Who do you want to spend more time with next year?
What new skill do you want to learn or improve?
What personal attribute or quality would you like to sharpen or live more?
What is one story you will stop telling yourself next year? What new story will you replace this with?
What is one goal that excites you the most for next year?

There you go! If you went through this mindfully and as honestly as you can (alone or in a group), hopefully, you will feel a sense of closure and appreciation for this year and a little excitement for the year ahead!

Communities have been essential to our wellbeing and performance for centuries, we’re just starting to remember this now!
If you want to be part of a community to help you reach further, stay connected to what’s important to you, and live a mindful life, be part of the growth at www.realiseflow.com!

Stay open, stay curious,

 

 

Article by Al Jeffery 

Al Jeffery is an international facilitator and communicator; creating spaces for community, potential and creative progress. Having worked with the likes of Apple, Google, and Telstra among others, Al helps leaders integrate presence and vulnerability to effectively lead intergenerational teams. Learn more about Al at www.aljeffery.com!