Reflection and analysis on the year just gone and the year coming up

Reflection and analysis on the year just gone and the year coming up

We are approaching a time of year when people often reflect on their lives. The questions below can help you consider how your year has been this past twelve months and how you would like it to be different. Just this practice alone can produce extraordinary results. It could be called “Living Life on Purpose,” and it goes as follows:

Reflect on the last year in writing.

• What are you most pleased about? What are your accomplishments?
• What are you disappointed with? Where do you feel you have failed?
• What issues in the last year have been recurring for a few years? Which problems seem to dog you most persistently?
• What do you need to celebrate?
• What do you need to let go of and put behind you?
• Do a mood graph for the last year. What was your predominant mood?

Reflect upon your life as a whole.

In which domains do your major commitments lie?

For example, for one person the major domains were:

• Family and children,
• Business – financial results,
• Business – client relationships,
• Personal study and learning,
• Personal finances,
• Hobbies,
• Health,
• Charitable work and giving back.

You may not think of your life like this now – but that is where the value may lie. So take about 30 minutes to think about areas you care about – especially those that may have been untended for a few years.

Reflect on what fulfilment during next year would look like in each domain.

Write it down and be as specific as possible. For example:

Hobbies:

• Golf – Play Wentworth three times, have 8 coaching sessions, get handicap to 8.

• Sailing: Compete in Cowes and one other regatta, get advanced coastal navigation qualification.

Business – financial:

• Team revenue grows to £2.5m, win first £1m+ client, make 2 pitches to each of 3 target clients

Family and children:

• Plan summer camping trip, read to Jack and Miranda at 8 PM at least 3 times per week, have two weekend holidays for partner and I, do no work three weekends per month

Health:

• Exercise 3x per week, have annual medical, run ½ marathon, get weight to below 14 stone by end of March and keep it below that level