2021 Year-End Review: A Guide To Self-reflection

As the year approaches to an end, it is critical and highly recommended to self-evaluate yourself for the year. There is no better time than now to look back at how you’ve spent the past few months; to celebrate your successes – whether big or small; and learn from your mistakes.

You may wonder why you really need to go through the ‘torture’ of a self-reflection. The year may not have gone as you expected and you may have made a couple of mistakes. Well, you are not alone. But the good thing is that we can learn from these mistakes. So, what if you think that there is nothing worth celebrating that you have achieved this year? But guess what? You will never know until you sit down to take your year in review.

So, what is self-reflection and how does it help?

Self-reflection, also known as self-assessment, is the act of examining oneself in order to determine one’s abilities and identify ways to improve them. It involves reflecting on your values, goals, activities, and lifestyle in a certain timeframe with the objective of improving. In other words, it is a process that assists you in identifying and comprehending your own strengths and weaknesses; making you more aware and accountable for your own development; providing a sense of direction, which aids in capacity development; and increasing motivation to set/achieve goals.

At this point, you’re probably wondering how to go about the self-reflection exercise. It’s simple! All you have to do is carefully write out questions specific to the area you want to evaluate, devise appropriate methods of measurement, honestly answer/grade them one after the other, and then process and analyze the information you have. Alternatively, you can download the YearCompass booklet with lots of questions and design your ideal self for 2022.

To get started, here are some sample self-reflection questions for relationships, finances, and health that you could consider;

FINANCES
One of the important aspects of your life that must be evaluated is your finances. This is to evaluate your financial behavior for the year and determine which areas require more intentionality. Here are a few questions to consider:

• Have I set any financial objectives for the year?
• Did I meet my financial target?
• What efforts did I make to increase my earnings?
• How well did I adhere to my monthly budget?
• How well did I follow through on my savings and investment goals?
• How well did I handle unanticipated expenses?
• Did my money management this year reflect my long-term financial goals?

HEALTH
This evaluates your physical, mental, and emotional health for the year. You should consider the following questions:

• How frequently did I have medical checkups?
• How well did I monitor my food and drink intake?
• How frequently did I exercise?
• How frequently did I feel down or depressed?
• How did I handle anxiety?
• Was it easy for me to ask for help when I was anxious or depressed?
• How attentive was I to my allergies?
• How quickly did I get access to healthcare in an emergency?
• How often did I engage in activities that made me happy and excited?
• How would I rate my overall health on a scale of 1 to 10?

RELATIONSHIP
Another important aspect of your life to reflect on is your relationship with God and people. You should ask questions such as:

• How well did I develop my relationship with God?
• How frequently did I set aside time to reflect on spiritual teachings?
• How well did I pray, and when did I pray?
• How did I interact with those around me?
• Have I been a blessing to others with my life?
• How did I interact with superiors and subordinates?
• Did my personal values show up in my interactions with others?

When answering these questions, it is critical to be honest with yourself because this exercise is designed to identify your strengths and weaknesses, allowing you to be more intentional in the coming year. Cheers to a better you, which we are rooting for!

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