What were the highlights of the past year for you? Reflecting back on the joys, sorrows and challenges of the year can be interesting and can help us to bring closure to the past year.
But here’s a different idea. What about reflecting on the highlights of the year to come, a year that has yet to begin? Imagine you are at the end of 2025, looking back on the year. What were the highlights?? What do you see?
It’s an interesting exercise that helps us to activate our dreams and vision for how we want to live.
What distinguished the upcoming year from other years? What made it joyful? How did you contribute? What did you learn? Who did you support?
T
his photo captures highlights from the first year we did this exercise. As you can see, there was an out-of-control travel bug running through our family at that time. No, we did not go to Yellowstone, Nicaragua, the Bahamas, London, Vietnam, California and New York that year, but we did take two memorable trips and we planted those seeds on New Year’s Eve. The point is not to create a realistic list of goals to accomplish, but to make room in our consciousness for new possibilities, which may translate into reality during the year.
One of the best rewards for doing this exercise is that we have a chance to share our hopes and dreams with each other, even before the year gets started! We can do a better job of supporting each other’s dreams if we know what they are.
Of course it’s also powerful if you reflect on your own, in the privacy of your own mind and heart. It can give you a chance to catch up with yourself and to clarify what is most important to you at this point in your life. Take your time and look in all directions for sparks of energy and joy. Capture them as they pass by. Keep them visible as you step into the new year, and nurture them if they continue to sparkle from the corner of your eye.
Here’s to the possibilities of our brand new and mysterious year ahead.
Happy New Year!!
Gregg and Linda
Join Gregg for this year’s Living on Purpose Program, which begins on Jan. 8th. LEARN MORE AND REGISTER HERE.
Gregg Krech is the author of several books including, The Art of Taking Action: Lessons from Japanese Psychology (2014) (an Amazon Best Seller) and A Natural Approach to Mental Wellnes (2012) . He has been teaching Japanese Psychology through retreats, conferences and online courses for thirty years.
Tags: family new year Purpose
