In health coaching, there are no failures. Instead, every missed attempt at a goal is a lesson, and an opportunity to refine our behavior to better set ourselves up for success the next time around.
As the new year begins, I like to take some time to review the past year, my habits, and my activities as they relate to my health. I reflect on what happened during the previous year, what I accomplished that supported a healthy lifestyle and what I didn’t. I think about where I succeeded and where I missed. This process allows me to celebrate my wins and evaluate and learn from my mistakes, and think about what I could do better so that I can improve my wellness in the coming year.
I invite you to join me in this reflective process. Grab a pen and paper and let’s look back on 2021. Here are 10 questions to help you review the past year:
What was your biggest health achievement of 2021?
What new healthy habits did you form?
What bad habits did you break?
What worked well and why?
What didn’t work well and why?
What wellness challenges did you face?
How did you overcome these challenges?
What obstacles did you not manage to overcome and why?
What do you wish you had done differently?
What is the most important lesson 2021 has taught you?
If you take the process seriously, it might not be easy, but it will be very valuable and rewarding. Culturally, we tend to be naturally forward-facing and future-oriented, always moving on to the next task, event, or responsibility. We don’t often take enough time to think about why we succeeded at something, and then celebrate our wins. We also struggle to evaluate our mistakes and disappointments because it forces us to take a look at ourselves and face things that we might not like. Both are challenging, frustrating, motivating, and rewarding but are important for future success.
And remember - be reasonable with yourself. It was a challenging year in so many ways, and there was a lot that was out of our control. Try looking at things from different perspectives and see what you can learn from them. The process will bring closure to the year and will also provide the space for valuable learning, which is vital to goal setting for the new year.
When you are done reflecting, you are ready to close the chapter on 2021 and move on to 2022. Equipped with the lessons of the past year, you will be ready to start with a clean slate and create the healthy lifestyle you want in the upcoming year. Anything goes! It’s your future.
If you need any help reflecting on 2021 or setting your health and wellness goals for 2022, feel free to book a complimentary call with me HERE.
With every new year comes a clean slate —what will you do with this fresh start?