Looking back, thinking ahead…

Hunker down and do some reflecting…

How was your 2018? And how would you like your 2019 to go?
I always spend several hours during the final week of the year contemplating the past twelve months. What were the joys and sorrows? accomplishments and screw-ups? the state of my relationships, etc etc etc. How many of my good intentions did I fulfill or ignore?

Time goes so fast and the days are so full that if I don’t stop to take stock of where I’ve been, and whether I’m going in a direction I’ve consciously chosen, it will suddenly be 2020 (or even 2025!) and I’m off in a scruffy patch of weeds. Here’s my process.

If I still had a fireplace I’d light a fire, make a mug of cocoa and hunker down beside it with my notebook and favorite pen. Instead I sit on the couch wrapped in a soft blanket, pen in hand.

A lot happens in just twelve months, so I need memory prompts to remind me just what went down. Reviewing my calendar and photo stream for the year helps me fill in the blanks. I also look back at what I wrote at year end last year to see how well I lived up to my intentions. Then I write my reflections to sum up the year, including a list of all I’m grateful for, and an evaluation of how I did with my intentions, with a thought for how I could do better in the year ahead and what I should just drop. Finally I choose a Word of the Year that represents a quality I want to focus on in the year to come.

Last year my word was COMPLETION. And I did complete a solid draft of the book I’d intended to write for 40 years. (Very proud of myself!) Interestingly, even though my 4 beta readers really liked it, we decided it was two separate books–one a memoir looking back, and the other verging on a how-to, about how I created the Thin Within program. After giving the manuscript a three month rest, I decided I would let both halves sit for awhile longer. I had unraveled and re-assembled a lot of personal history and resolved some uncomfortable relationships in the process, so it was labor well spent. Now I’ve started a different book – this one will make it to print.

My word(s) for 2019 is MAKE MEANING. Goes not just for the new book, but also for my relationships and other activities. It implies that I want to be increasingly mindful about how I spend my time. Like sharing flaming plum pudding with my family, something we’ve made together (off and on) for 40 years.

If you want to do a year-end review, and feel stumped about what to cover, here are some additional prompts:

• Three moments you treasured and why
• Something you’re really proud of and why
• Something you wish you’d done differently
• When did you laugh the hardest?
• Saddest moment?
• Something you really struggled with, and why? Could you try a new angle on it?
• Something that you learned
• Something that surprised you
• Something you finally decided to let go of
• Did you make new friends?
• What did you do beyond your normal comfort zone?
• Any relationship breakthroughs?
• What news or current events made a big impression on you?
• What regrets do you have about how you behaved this year?
• Did you grow as a person this year? How?
• What word would you choose for guidance and inspiration in 2019? If you’re willing to share it with me, and why you chose it, I’d love to hear… maybe I’ll write about it next year!

Happy New Year everyone – Here’s to a more stable 2019.

Coming next week: Painting my eyeglass frames– the story I bumped for this more timely topic.

What I’m reading: The Cozy Minimalist, by Myquillyn Smith caught my eye at the library (a “Lucky Day” offering). She has some great ideas about how to create a clutter-free home that is still personal and comfy. I’ll share some of her tips later in January.