To me, every holiday season feels like a fantastic blur of color, glitter, food, friends, family, and fun. It’s a bit chaotic, a little stressful, mostly enjoyable, but all-in-all, over in a flash. It’s easy to dash through this season without much thought trying desperately to hang on to your sanity.
But what if, instead of rushing ahead to our New Year’s Resolutions, we took a few moments to slow down, reflect, and be grateful for what 2021 has brought us?
For some, gratitude is second nature, a habit not easily broken. For others, it may seem a little “woo-woo”, out of place in our modern, scientific, digital age. But speaking of science, there’s LOTS of it around the habit of gratitude. In fact, “research has shown that gratitude can improve general well-being, increase resilience, strengthen social relationships, and reduce stress and depression. The more grateful people are, the greater their overall well-being and life satisfaction… Grateful people also have a greater capacity for joy and positive emotions” (Hey Sigmund).
With that in mind, I invite us to spend a few minutes this holiday season slowing down, reviewing 2021, and offering gratitude for what we’ve received this year.
Before We Begin
Before I jump into the step-by-step process of reflection, I want to acknowledge that 2021 hasn’t necessarily been a “great” year for us all. We’re still in the middle of a global pandemic, unemployment is an ongoing problem, not to mention personal crises that abound. There’s plenty of legitimate reasons to be frustrated, upset, stressed out, and anxious.
BUT the fact that we are in the middle of difficulties makes the practice of gratitude that much more meaningful. Finding the positive in tough times is what builds resilience and character for whatever lies ahead.
And so, it’s time for some gratitude!
Let’s break it down…
- Set Aside Some Time. First up, it’s best to set aside dedicated time to this reflective activity. Don’t try to squeeze it in between meetings: schedule it on your calendar. Half an hour should be plenty of time, but if you’d like to
spend longer, then more power to you! - Silence Your Phone. Minimize interruptions so you can focus on the task at hand. Silence your phone, turn off the TV, and put your computer to sleep. This way you can be fully present in your reflections.
- Grab a Pen and Paper. Do it the old-fashioned way. Pen and paper is always best.
- Make THREE Lists. With your pen and paper, create three lists.
- List your accomplishments from the year. What are you proud of? What surprised you in a good way?
- List your disappointments. What frustrated you? When were you faced with professional problems?
- List the good stuff. Your final list should be completely positive. List everything you’re grateful for over the past year. This can be professionally, personally, or both. No negative vibes in this list. Big and small, list it all!
Once you’ve got your lists, spend some time thinking of the year ahead. What do you want to take with you into 2022? What things are you ready to leave behind?
Like setting and accomplishing long-term goals, spending time reflecting on our actions in a mindset of gratitude can exponentially increase our potential for the upcoming year.
So, before rushing forward into your New Year’s resolutions for 2022, spend a few minutes reflecting in gratitude for all the wonderful things you received in 2021. You’ll be grateful you did 😉!
Caroline Turner Cole is a voice-over artist, writer, and yogi. Follow along or say hey on Instagram and Twitter!
