It’s that time of year when everyone looks back on how the year has been, the challenges, the appraisals, the achievements and the short comings.
It’s funny how society tries to make think that we need to wait until the end of the year to start setting our goals for the following year, the idea of ‘new year – new me’ when really we should have the mindset of ‘New day – better me’.
I think it’s so important to take the time to reflect on your life more than once a year, new goals should be set more frequently than at the end of each year as there is always room for daily improvement.
This is the time when most people ponder on the things that have been done well and the things that could have been done better. But why wait until the end of the year to reflect?
I take time to reflect at any given opportunity because each new day allows me to change whatever it is I am unhappy with or to see what I have done well and continue doing so. Around this time of year, I start setting my new goals for the year ahead. I haven’t done that this year, instead I am reflecting on my life all the time and making changes each step of the way. If I see that I can do better in a particular area of my life, I won’t wait until the next year – I start straight away.
Reflection is not only about changing the negative qualities, it’s also about appreciating how far you have come and how well you are doing. So in your time of reflection make sure you give yourself a pat on the back.
We all want to see that there has been some sort of growth and positive change in our daily lives, no matter how small or big.
Is it healthy to be self-critical? Yes, but not to bring yourself down. It’s good to be self-critical in trying to make yourself a better person, emotionally, physically, financially etc.
Take the time to reflect in a way that works best for you but remember that you don’t need to wait until the end of each year to do better or to appreciate how far you’ve come. Start now!
