5 questions to help you evaluate last year

At this time of year, we all look back over the past 12 months with critical eyes. Life Coach and editor of Psychologies, Suzy Greaves, showed us how to learn from the year just past. She recommends asking ourselves these questions to learn what worked last year, and how we can bring it forward into next. What brought you the greatest joy this year? Sometimes it’s not the things you expect that bring you joy. Maybe you did get that promotion you were hoping for, and that’s great, but we need to look at the joy in the little things as well. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Name 3 moments that made you laugh uncontrollably in the year just past – even if it was just watching a good film.
• Name 3 moments that gave you a ‘golden glow’ – where you felt happy, at one with life, or interested and engaged
• What do these moments have in common? Who were you with, what were you doing?
• How can you spend more time next year doing these things that bring you joy? Sometimes it’s the small changes that make the biggest difference. 

What mantra sustained you this year? Life can be tough sometimes, and there’s nothing we can do to change events. But we can change the way we think about the challenges we face.

• When facing a challenge, what is the thought that helps you stay focused and helpful?
• What would change if you created a new positive or sustaining belief system in your life?
• What would you have to believe differently about yourself or life to create different results in your life?
• What is the one thing you could do every day to build evidence that your new belief system is true?

 What did you learn to let go off this year? Sometimes it’s not about the new things that enter our lives, but about the old things that we allow to leave. Whether that’s an ex-partner, or a belief system that no longer serves its’ purpose, often letting go has more benefits that clinging on.

• What have you let go of in the past and when has it has a great impact on your life?
• What three things have you let go of in the previous year, and how has it improved your life?
• What three things are you still holding on to and how is that having an impact on your life now?
• What are the things stopping you from letting go off something which you no longer need in your life? Will it involve confrontation, for example?
• What will the benefits be of letting go of something which you no longer need in your life? Will you have more energy, for example?

Next page: What did you learn about yourself this year? –