2022: The Last Bon Bon (And A Guide To Review Your Year)
Thinking about the highs and lows and wrapping up the year. Download my PDF to do a contemplative review of your year.
Nearly three years have passed since the COVID rollercoaster detonated. Luckily, this has been the best year for our family. We have been able to enjoy more time outside, reconnect with friends, and meet other parents at the park. Our daughter Eva turned two in August and is such a loving, bright, and joyful little human to hang out with. At the end of November, my wife gave birth to León, a cute baby boy who looks much like his dad. Lucía does not cease to amaze me and is the melody of this duet. My family makes me smile.
Do you have rituals upon the end of the year? Or keep a journal of your high and low moments/experiences during the year? How about the victories and failures? Every year is packed with so much learning potential and it is our choice to extract that knowledge and turn it into wisdom for life.
It is the time of year when we evaluate the past 365 days. Reflecting upon the end of the year may be both a fantastic and painful process, but it will eventually enrich and empower you. Set time aside for this contemplative exercise. You don’t have to get it done in one sitting. Be intentional and think about what went well for you, what didn’t, and what you can do better in the New Year.
Here are some prompts to help you organize your thoughts. Ideally, take your time and go through all of them. You can also come up with your own questions and customize your set of questions for the future. I also made a PDF to download.
A failure, a mistake, and a challenge that I learned from: __________
A new soft and/or technical skill I learned: ____________
Who did me wrong and what did I learn from it? ____________
Habit acquired and habit discarded: ____________
Is there someone I hurt and could go and ask for forgiveness? _______
Things to celebrate: _______________
What did I read/listen to/watch that moved me towards action? _______
New relationships that brought joy to my life: _______________
An experience that moved me and I am grateful for: _______________
In 2022, I'm most proud of: _______________
In 2023, I want to (create, start, quit, experience, learn, prioritize): ______
My theme or word for 2023 is: _______________
What I want to keep fresh in my mind this year: ______________
When reviewing your notes, do not be hard on yourself. Most likely your life/work plans of the last couple of years skewed or went entirely out the window. It's okay if plans changed or you were unable to do all that you wanted to. Embrace the results. Perhaps you are still refocusing, realigning, and/or reinventing yourself. Many humans worldwide are in the same boat. Hey, it's been almost 3 years of worldwide uncertainty, pain, sorrow, and sickness. Besides COVID, there is so much going on with wars, right-wing repressive politics, death, poverty, and violence. The economy is in shambles. We are on the verge of a recession both in the US and the World. All markets have crashed and appear like they will crash some more. All this chaos affects us, even if we dare not to admit it.
Nonetheless, we are experts at making the best out of the worst. We have survived time and time again, and we will do it again. You have done it before and have the capacity to repeat it. Try to focus on what you have instead of what you want, what you lost, or are trying to get. Too often, we miss the forest for the trees, wanting more and forgetting what we have. I see so many people losing themselves over what they want, which is often something they think will make others like them more. They want a bigger house, a more expensive car, or a luxurious vacation hoping that it will advance their social status. Be grateful for what you have.
I am blessed with the freedom to be myself, the capacity to learn and write, and abundant love and hope at home.
What are you most grateful for in 2022? Hit the comment section and let me know.
I will come back to your inbox on January 2nd. May you experience joy, gratitude, and peace during this season.
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Your fellow human,
-Jorge Fusaro