"Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself."
- Matthew McConaughey
We don't do it enough; you might, but I don't reckon you do. I know I don't do it enough. I don't reckon many would do it enough. Pausing to breathe. When was the last time you paused with the intention to breathe? I'll go first. The last time I paused to take a breath with intention was on Sunday night around the dinner table. You're probably wondering what that's got to do with the year first; I'm getting to it, hang in there. Around the dinner table with my wonderful, inspiring friends and their two small humans is the last time I took a breath with the intention of slowing time down.
Let me set the scene here. We had Pho on our minds all day for dinner, but it was a 40-minute round trip. I know good food doesn't stop for time, but it was a Sunday, and Sundays are for warm meals around a big table with loved ones, sharing stories and laughter. So, with Pho out of the picture, the next big and best thing? Would obviously be Burrito night. Never not a bad idea.
Before we dove headfirst into the warmed up black bean and 4 bean mix and the freshly diced lettuce waiting for our arrival, with sliced avocado also waiting patiently, Haley spoke softly but with great confidence in her belly. She paused us and said, "We got this new dinner routine since the last time you were here. Before we eat, we hold each other's hands and take three deep breaths. Once you've finished, squeeze the person's hand next to you to let them know you are done."
Add that to the year of firsts, I thought to myself. This year for me has been a whirlpool of first-time adventures, big challenges, and being surrounded by interesting and inspiring people. But without taking the time to reflect on that, I would let the year pass by without giving it the credit it deserves. Plus, you always deserve some 'you' time to water your garden and think back about the loving year you had. Pausing and taking time to reflect on our previous experiences is one thing I'd love to see more of. In my opinion, it's just a good excuse to take myself on a date to my favourite cafe and drink a few too many coffees while scribbling notes in my journal.
Below, I've listed a short and simple guideline to help you maximise your reflection time. Look at this as a mini cheat sheet; the hard work is done for you—all that's left for you to do is pick your own brain and go pen to paper.
If you are a regular journal scribbler, now's a great time to flick back to the start and run your eyes over the previous entries. Smile back at the good and the not so good times the years brought. Once you’re done there; start the process below, theres no rules here. Start at any number.
Pen, pencil or highlighter.
Black, blue or yellow.
Lined paper or not. We don’t judge.
Achievements: (big or small, i know they still made your heart beat that bit faster)
What were your most significant achievements this year?
What goals did you accomplish, and how did they make you feel?
Challenges and lessons: (setbacks, some would say, I call them lessons)
What were the main challenges or obstacles you faced this year?
How did you overcome them, or what did you learn from these experiences?
Personal developments: (the gold. the good stuff. no risk no magic behaviours.)
What new skills or habits have you developed?
What area do you feel you’ve grown most in this year?
Gratitude: (i love life, living and the people around me.)
3 things/people/activities that stood out to you this year that you are most grateful for?
What do you love most about the time you are living in?
Intentions for the new year: (it feels good to go pen to paper with goals. Think of it as a personal accountability buddy.)
What area in your life moving into 2024 do you want to make some changes too? (think outside the box here, think personal, maybe its a project you want to really lean into. Or it’s a financial goal. Write it down.)
What creative pursuits or hobbies do you want to explore or deeper in?
What positive habits do you want to add in your daily routine?
I’ll leave you one question that landed in my emails by James Clear this week:
Challenge yourself to do something out of your normal routine. What is one thing you can do this week that is different than what you do on a normal week?
1 month left of the year—make it a goodie. Smile a bunch and take time to breathe.
See you all next Sunday.
Big love,
Jono
