In December it feels natural to spend time reflecting on the year to gain a sense of closure and gather up the key learnings. In the Lightyear Leadership work that I’m trained in, we call this ‘Appreciation and Learning.’ It’s the final cycle in the Cycles of Success and gives us wisdom and positive energy to fuel the next chapter, project, or in this case, year.

While there isn’t one exact way to do this, some people find it helpful to go back through the months and record the key events from each: trips, projects, events, etc. This can help us appreciate all that we did and accomplished.

I also like to generally reflect on the year with these questions:

What were my biggest learnings this year?
What challenged me?
How did I grow?
What was the best parts of this year?

For me, 2023 was so much about Trust. In fact, that became my one-word intention for the year as I navigated IVF with my husband and was blessed to become pregnant for the first time. I practiced over and over again letting go of fear and control and leaning into trust more deeply.

Some other key learnings were:

The Upper Limit Problem from the book, The Big Leap. Game-changer for deepening awareness around emotions.
Taking a month (or six!) off social media is good for my soul.
Pregnancy, feeling more grounded and appreciating my body frequently.
The importance of sharing good news, celebrations and creating upward spirals of energy.
Setting internal success markers around my goals vs. being driven by external goals or numbers. So much lighter and motivating!
Savor more: good smells, tasty food, beautiful sights, hugs, kisses.

Your turn! Go for a walk. Bust out your journal. Reflect on your year. What did you learn? How did you grow? What made this year meaningful to you? It may surprise you how good it feels to take some notes!