The year is quickly coming to an end. Your thoughts can be nervously drifting towards the goals you haven’t started, the resolutions you didn’t finish, or the pressure to do more in the coming year. You may be striving to believe that this new year brings a time of promise, excitement, and renewed dedication to achieve your goals, which it certainly may, but before focusing on strategizing new resolutions, you’ll need to pivot your mindset from negativity and learn from the past year.
To ensure you move forward this year with positivity and productive energy to accomplish your dreams, BHAVA Therapy Group has compiled some steps to help you transition into the new year.
Step 1: List Your Accomplishments from the Past Year
As you reflect on the past year, make it a point to focus on the positive. Think about how you have grown and look at all that you have achieved, both big and small. Consider where you started the year and how you have grown or changed. List everything positive you have accomplished this year, regardless of how small or large they may be, and place them somewhere you can remind yourself.
Growth to consider:
- Healthy new habits
- New relationships and friendships
- New hobbies, jobs, or practices
- Healthy nutrition and lifestyle choices
- Maintaining a positive outlook amid chaos
- Learning and practicing new communication skills
- Coping with stress in a constructive manner
- Taking a new class
- Volunteering
- Spending time with those you love in new ways
Step 2: List Your Major Setbacks from the Past Year
Once you have recalled all the positive accomplishments you achieved this year, shift to explore the setbacks you suffered. It may have been a challenging year, and we don’t want to minimize those difficulties. List situations and events that were disappointing, upsetting, or out of alignment with your desired course. This is not meant to trigger obsessions over mistakes or become stuck in the negative. Instead, use this as an opportunity to recognize your resiliency and the gifts and lessons even in challenging times. As you look at any setbacks, consider those that are directly in your control, and situations you didn’t have control over. List any significant setbacks that stand out to you and recall how you managed yourself through them with the intention to create insight and growth from those experiences.
Step 3: Uncover the Lessons Learned from Your Setbacks
To avoid getting bogged down or triggered by adverse events, take some time to reframe the outcomes. Explore each major setback you have listed and uncover the lessons you have learned from those experiences. Take a step back from the pain and hurt and see if you can objectively look at each situation.
Ask yourself:
- What did I learn?
- How can I apply these lessons to my future behavior to avoid similar outcomes or cope with situations differently?
- How could I process this experience differently?
- How would I choose to react to similar conditions in the future?
- What can I do to prepare for similar events in the future?
Step 4: Have Gratitude for the Lessons You Learned
Expressing gratitude for life’s lessons and your experiences helps you acknowledge them and move forward in a positive direction. Recalling and expressing gratitude for your experiences is a great way to boost confidence and positivity as you face new challenges and conquer fresh experiences. Gratitude and the power of appreciation are vital for wellness and powerful stress management strategies, which will boost your immune system and help keep you healthier. A growth mindset and positivity will propel you toward a positive new year.
Step 5: Keep a Positive Outlook for the New Year
As you work through these steps, you are clearing space and building energy to conquer new challenges. Taking the time to process experiences and emotions will allow you to clean the slate, let go of the past, and explore new possibilities for the future with an optimistic headspace.
