Reflecting on 2021

December is my favorite time of year…and it’s not because of the lights and music and movies. It’s because December is a time when I reflect on the year that is passing and on what I want for the coming year.

There’s something about reflecting on the year gone by that lets you really appreciate how much you have changed, what you have accomplished, what you have learned. And you feel connected to yourself in a deep way.

I start off by going through Facebook posts, my Amazon wish lists (when I get interested in a topic I look for books on that subject and put them on my wish list), and my planner. I make a list of all the significant things that happened that year, and what I was interested in, who I connected with, and what I and my family did.

That list helps me really think about what I accomplished and what I learned. And it gives me a springboard for responding to journal prompts about the year that is finishing up.

This December, I’m going to give you two sets of prompts. The first set will be prompts for reflecting on 2021. The second set will be about looking forward to 2022.

I hope doing reflections in this way will help you appreciate the year that is about to pass and to be intentional about next year. Be gentle with yourself as you reflect. Have compassion for what you were going through that caused you to maybe not meet all of your goals or to disappoint yourself in some way. We are all doing the best that we can with what we have been given. Affirm that to yourself. And try to approach the prompts with curiosity and wonder.

Enjoy the prompts this December!