It’s easy to look back at the first half of 2020 and see all the things that didn’t happen as you planned, to see one challenge after another. But reflecting on this time might expose something important that you learned, and reflecting on challenges can be revealing and show you skills you can use going forward.
Try this journaling exercise:
- Make a list of specific challenges you’ve faced. Choose one and take 10–15 minutes to reflect on it. Journal on these questions:
- What was hard about it? What did it ask of you?
- How did you get through it?
- What did you learn about yourself from this experience? What skills did you gain or enhance?
- Now make a list of moments of joy, wonder, gratitude, accomplishment and connection. Again, choose one for reflection. Journal about that moment in detail:
- Focus on your senses—what did things look like, sound like, smell like, taste like, and feel like?
- What emotions did you feel?
- What part of this moment would you like to carry forward?
Today starts a new month, a new quarter and the second half of the year. Before you turn to a fresh page on your calendar, be generous with yourself – take the time to reflect so that you can move forward with ideas about what helped you through change or struggle, what made you feel joy and gratitude, what helped you learn new skills. Doing so will serve you whatever happens in the coming days and months.
As always, I’d love to hear about your reflection. Just hit reply if you’d like to share.
And if you want to reflect and journal in person (over Zoom) with others and me please join me for one of my Write into Joy workshops.