As we approach the end of another calendar year, our thoughts tend to turn to the year that has passed. The successes we may have had, the hardships we have encountered and the many ordinary moments along the way.
While it is important to acknowledge our challenges and how it may have impacted us, it is also important to not lose sight of all that has gone right.
Why?
Because research tells us that focusing on the positive helps our mental & physical health.
Focussing on the positive has two specific benefits:
1. It helps reset your mood. Thinking about the good that you have experienced, will keep the best experiences at the front of your mind and will help you feel more optimistic as you engage in your daily activities. This in turn will increase the likelihood that those activities will be a success (or at least you will perceive it as such), thereby creating a chain reaction of positive events.
2. It will empower you. By evaluating why certain things went well and what you can do to repeat these positive experiences again in the new year, you will realize that creating good is within your control. The more you believe that you can create joy in your life, you are less likely to simply wait for good things to happen to you and more likely to go out and create them.
Self reflection can be simpler than you think.
To get started, ask yourself the following questions:
What were my 3 favourite experiences of the past year?
What made those events a success? Was it something you or another person did? Does it require particular resources?
How can you replicate that experience? How often would you like this event to happen?
In between shopping for presents and attending holiday parties, I encourage you to spend a few minutes reflecting on the wins of the past year. And then I encourage you to think about how you can carry those on into the next year. While we can’t control the difficult things that happen to us, we certainly can create positive experiences for ourselves.
Wishing you and yours the best of the holiday season!
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