Taking Stock Once a Year

I want to reflect and look ahead with clarity

I’m not a big fan of my birthday. Being the center of attention that doesn’t fit well for me. I’d rather scrub floors than have a group of people sing to me and watch with expectation as I open gifts. It’s too much hoopla for my introverted self.

This year, as I do most years, I managed to contain the celebration to take-out with my husband and son. A quiet night without cooking and clean up feels like all the recognition I needed.

Like many of you reflective souls, I use my birthday as a time to take stock of my life. It feels much more intimate than doing this at New Year’s or at the start of a season, when much of the world is similarly introspective. It’s all about me.

Yes, I’m the center of attention to myself.

So, I spent some time with a selection of birthday journal prompts I’ve gathered over the years. I wrote in response to a couple and put together a mindful photography spread for another, choosing photos that captured something important, thematic, about the year.

I’m choosing to keep my reflections private because, well, we’re all entitled to keep our journals private. However, I thought I’d share my list of prompts with you. Even if it’s not your birthday, you might decide that to set aside a day soon to reflect, without the clamor of the New Year or even a birthday to influence your process.

Self-Reflection Prompts:

1.     What are the highlights and lowlights of this year? What do these lists tell me about what I want more and less of in the coming months? How will I use this insight?

2.     How have I grown? Where am I stuck, still, or slowed in my development? Are there things I can do to move myself forward? Who do I desire to become?

3.     Who and/or what have I outgrown this year? Have I marked those endings for myself and anyone else involved? What do I need to do to tend to the grief of endings?

4.     Where have I put my energy into the world? How does this reflect my current values? Are there ways I need to change in order to take values-aligned actions? What supports do I need in the process?

5.     What are some of the broad strokes of what I’d like to accomplish personally and professionally in the next year? Can I identify some benchmarks or distant goals that would let me know I’m heading in that direction, without getting hung up on the minutia of planning every step forward?

6.     If today is my last day, am I comfortable with the legacy of my life thus far? If not, what am I committed to changing starting today?

These are heavy questions of choice, responsibility, context, limitations, dreams, aspirations. I try to leave myself plenty of time to explore and aim to have one concrete step to take after the reflection. I’ve learned to trust over the years that it really doesn’t matter what step I take to start, as long as I break free of my inertia. The next steps will follow.

And you? How do you prefer to reflect and take stock of your life? You may have prompts or other practices you use. If you’d like, please drop them into the comments so we can benefit from the collective wisdom here at Singularly Sensitive.

Wishing you a reflective and intentional year!