It’s that time of year. The time of year where it feels like we are in constant anticipation of what’s happening next. Anticipation for Christmas has passed, now the anticipation for the New Year comes, and massive anticipation for all that this new year holds for us.
This year more than ever, we are ready to put a sharp end to 2020 and move on to 2021! Right?! But WAIT! Don’t flip the page of the calendar too quickly…not without first reflecting back on the highs and lows, the good and not so good experiences of the year that is coming to an end.
Reflection…to some this word may sound fantastic. It may sound peaceful and soul-bearing and bring you into this state of magical being while you relive all of the most precious moments of this past year. And for others, the word reflection sounds like a punishment handed down to you from your middle school principal!
I hate to even admit it, but I’m very much in that second category. I am futuristic by nature, as well as an enneagram 7. If you are familiar with the enneagram you may know that that means I do NOT like things that cause pain or sadness! Give me all the joy, all the excitement, ALL the time!
Take being an enneagram 7, then add the strength of being futuristic, sprinkle in a bit of perfectionism and ask me to pause and reflect…YUCK! Plan for the future, I’M ALL IN! Goals, dreams, and future planning are my JAM! But, I know how important the reflection step is, and so I will pause and reflect.
Why is reflection so important? Well, here’s a little story about my unwillingness to sit and take the time with myself to reflect. Don’t worry, I’m not bringing you back too far…ha! Just to the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020…
**insert dreamy type music and the scene blurring as it fades into a memory**
Bringing you back to December 2019. We were coming up on the new year, my favorite time of year! Goals, dreams and ideas are flooding my brain at a crazy fast pace. I could fill an entire notebook with the amount of goals, dreams and plans for this coming year.
My future planning and dreaming skills are ON POINT! Seriously, this stuff sets my soul on FIRE! But, as 2020 came closer, I glanced back on the year of 2019 and became incredibly disappointed. Notice I said “glanced.” I took a VERY quick review of the past year. I didn’t take the time to answer thoughtful questions about 2019, or write down any of my accomplishments. I simply brushed past any successes and zoomed in on all that I didn’t accomplish.
It crushed me.
I had a sales goal, I didn’t hit it. I had a vacation goal, we weren’t able to afford it. I had a goal for my health, and I wasn’t quite there. As I’ve said before, I have a tendency to be a bit perfectionistic and all I saw were the things I didn’t do perfectly. I sank under the weight of all that I didn’t do. I was so disappointed in myself!
As I was talking with my husband about all the things I didn’t accomplish in 2019, and expressing my frustration and anger that “I didn’t accomplish anything!” – direct quote from me. He looked at me with his eyes wide and mouth open in disbelief. He said, “Chrystal, YOU OPENED A STORE!”
He was right! I OPENED A FREAKING STORE! I literally poured my blood, sweat, and tears into the process of opening the store location for months. We completely renovated the space, purchased and unpacked inventory, cleaned, hired and trained staff, ALL THE THINGS! And we proudly opened The Paisley Pod storefront at the end of June 2019!
Opening a physical location for my boutique had been a goal of mine since we opened our boutique truck in 2015. I finally made that dream come to fruition. I should have been so proud. Instead, I didn’t even immediately recognize it as a goal achieved!
I have a tendency to accomplish a goal and quickly move to the next without taking the time to celebrate. Hence, the thought that I didn’t accomplish a single thing in 2019! I had let all the things that I DIDN’T do cloud my judgement of the entire year. I let the things I didn’t do perfectly, completely take over and blind me from seeing the massive amount of things I HAD accomplished. WOW! What’s the point of this story? The point is, it is SO important to stop and celebrate your accomplishments. It is important to REFLECT! And if any of you are like me, and you put a checkmark next to one goal and then quickly move onto the next without taking a moment to recognize and celebrate what you have accomplished… first find THAT person. The person who will stand next to you, slow you down, and force you to take the time to celebrate your accomplishments.
As this year comes to an end, and we are looking forward to the awesomeness that the year ahead will bring. As we begin planning out our goals and dreams for the new year. STOP! Slow down! Before you write out all the goals, dreams and plans, you must take the time to reflect. Set aside time to sit quietly with yourself and REFLECT on this past year.
What things went well? What do you wish would have gone better? Did your priorities and where you spent your time and energy align? What were your greatest accomplishments? What things do you want to work on more this next year? What things did you learn? These are just a few suggestions of things to ask yourself. Use Google to find specific year end reflection questions and journal prompts. Write out your answers, take the time to journal and feel all the feelings. You will thank yourself.
Once you have that list of things you have accomplished, CELEBRATE! Take the time to celebrate, feel that pride, you did it! You are amazing! You can do hard things! Your accomplishments and that feeling of “I did it!”, will empower you to move forward, dream big, and make big things happen. Trust me. You will feel so good.
So grab a journal, and get to writing! You are a Rockstar! Please share your accomplishments, no matter how big or small. Let us help you celebrate them and cheer you on!
Stay wild my friends!
Xoxo – Chrystal