As 2020 comes to an end…
We are healing, we are grieving, we are processing, we learned what matters, we flexed, we adapted, we overcame, we discovered our limits, we discovered our inner strength, we simplified, we accepted, we surrendered, we are grateful, we worked towards change, we found kindness in others, we became more resilient, we realized we have more work to do, we stumbled to the finish line, yet we have arrived.
Collectively, I think many of us are ready to ring in the New Year and close the 2020 chapter and its significant challenges. But before we flip the page to 2021, let’s take a moment to reflect on this unprecedented year. This year brought historic challenges, in my case, I lost loved ones, family fell ill to COVID-19, and those close to me fighting currently the fight of their life. The universe had been sending me signs to listen to what my mind and body need, but also to my heart; to think about what matters most, and what doesn't truly matter. We only have so much mental bandwidth and mine was running thin and it was time to do the inner work to recharge, reboot and ultimately reset my inner compass.
I headed to the mountains on a solo trip with the intent to wander where the wifi was weak for my annual reflection ritual. I immersed myself amongst the peaks, the forest and woods to unplug, and disconnect from technology and quiet and calm my own inner chatter. I am privileged that I was able to step away and do something like this as many others can not and I recognize that.
Of all the tools in my leadership toolkit, ‘reflection’ is one of my top 3 picks. What moves us from ‘experience’ to 'understanding’ is reflection; it helps us capture the challenges, the wins, lessons learned, and our greatest insights as well as increase self-and-situational awareness as we navigate through life. I breathed in the mountain air, exhaled the past. I created my top ten reflection questions for 2020. These simple, yet powerful questions helped me get clear on the hard lessons learned and find meaning during these turbulent times. These takeaways and ‘ah ha’ moments will help me pave my 2021 path forward.
I'm a really big fan of pen to paper tools because it helps us process emotions and it also helps encode memory, this is where the learning happens. Lastly, I like to pour myself a glass of wine, (or grab a great cup of coffee) settle into a quiet space and write it out as this way feels more fluid to me. Do whatever works best for you, the key is to do it, be as honest and authentic as possible. I hope you find these helpful as you process and untangle your 2020 before you prep for 2021.
The Warmi Project Top 10 Reflection Questions for 2020:
What am I grateful for?
What did I learn that truly matters?
What doesn’t matter?
Top 3 insights?
What did I lose?
What did I gain?
What did I overcome?
How did I contribute?
What do I need to still work on? What will I let go of?
What will my new start line look like?
As I look forward to 2021, I do believe we are on the road to rebuild and recovery; with our nation, with our communities, and with ourselves. I will be digging into resilience next month as we move into 2021, sign up here if you’d like to receive these blog posts straight to your inbox.
Here at The Warmi Project we are thinking of you and your loved ones and wishing you a happy, safe, and healthy New Year and here’s to better days ahead in 2021.
Abrazos,
Dana