As the year comes to a close, it is a good time to look back and review the year. I often write about the use of reminiscence as a way to create acceptance in your life. It allows you to retell your story in a way that brings closure, acceptance, and satisfaction.
Reviewing the past year is a way of reminiscing that allows you to feel content about the culmination of the year and start the new year in a fresh and exciting way.
As we go through our day-to-day life it is easy to be wrapped up in the daily stressors of life’s tasks. Maintaining a home, our health, our loved one’s health, our finances, while balancing the fun parts and maintaining relationships can feel burdensome at times.
It is important to take time outside of our daily routine to reflect and remind ourselves of what is most important to us.
Sit back and reflect on this past year. Focus on the things you accomplished and are grateful for. Perhaps you did a home renovation that although stressful, was completed and successful. Maybe you retired and changed your daily routine. While it may have felt unsettling in the moment, you can reflect on how fortunate you are to be able to retire and start a new chapter.
Perhaps you had the benefit of seeing old friends or family from far away. Maybe you took a vacation or tried a new hobby.
This year for me was also full of losses. And while I have felt much grief, I also have the perspective that grief is a reflection of the love that was experienced.
No year is ever all good or all bad. But by framing our experiences and focusing on the grateful parts, it can help us define what is most important to us in the year ahead. We can integrate the good parts with the difficult parts and see that together they brought us to where we are today.
The things you are drawn to remember as the good parts are the ones you want to lean into experiencing again in 2025.
Ask yourself what you enjoyed the most, what you wish you had done differently, and what strengths of yours helped get you through the difficult parts.
Companies will create a year in review of statistics to show their customers how much they accomplished. Think of yourself in this way and make a list of all you have accomplished. Maybe you provided x number of volunteer hours or spent x number of hours comforting a friend.
Companies know how to create their statistics to focus on their positive accomplishments. Do that for yourself. Focus on all you accomplished, all you survived, and what made you feel like you were thriving. Now use that energy to start 2025 with a positive outlook ready to create another year worth looking back on.
Martha Shapiro can be reached at Senior Concerns at 805-497-0189 or by email at mshapiro@seniorconcerns.org.
