For many people, New Year’s resolutions don’t work very well. Good intentions often fade within the first month. What tends to be more effective is looking back. Reflection is a science-backed way to create space for self-discovery and self-compassion, and to build inner strength.
Research shows that reflection can improve both performance and well-being. It’s seen as a key mechanism behind learning: it helps you distill the main lessons from experience, uncover limiting patterns, and reduce rumination. Researchers from Harvard University found that reflection can be a more powerful way to improve performance than learning solely through doing or experience. Taking time to reflect on the past year (or even the past month, week, or day) helps shape future decisions, actions, and beliefs. So, how does it actually work?
What is reflection exactly?
According to the Open University, reflection is a combination of ‘reflective thinking’, ‘reflective learning’, and ‘reflective practice’. “It’s the ability to demonstrate self-direction and reflect on your own progress to continue to advance your own knowledge and understanding and develop new skills”, they write.
The University of Edinburgh describes (critical) reflection as the “conscious examination of past experiences, thoughts and ways of doing things. Its goal is to surface learning about oneself and a situation, and to bring meaning to it in order to inform the present and the future.”
“By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the bitterest.” – Confucius
In short, reflection is the practice of looking back on your own experiences to gain insight into yourself and to guide and improve future actions. It’s a (often underestimated) way to grow personally and professionally.
Why it’s important to reflect on the past year
As mentioned earlier, reflecting on the past year can help shape your decisions, actions, and beliefs in the year ahead. It allows you to bring intention and structure to your life and helps you to understand yourself better. Research also shows that writing about your thoughts and actions (especially in a self-compassionate way) can reduce rumination, strengthen resilience, and improve mental health.
Some benefits of reflection, according to research:
- Greater psychological insight
- Reduces negative thoughts
- Deeper understanding of yourself
- Enhancing performance and self-development
- Improves cognitive flexibility and self-regulation
- Helps break unhelpful habits by making patterns visible
- Increase our impact in our personal and professional lives
How to reflect on the year
You can use your reflective practice for instance to increase self-awareness, gain direction, and improve outcomes for the year ahead. Use these prompts to look back on this year.
Self-compassion prompts for reflection
Don’t rush through these questions; take your time to reflect on the answers. It can even be helpful to tackle one question per day: read it in the morning, let it sit with you throughout the day, and begin writing about it in the evening.
- What moments from this past year still linger with me? And why?
- What challenged me most this year? How did I try to cope with it?
- Where did I show resilience? How did that make me feel?
- What did this year ask of me that I didn’t expect?
- In what situations was I hard on myself? What might I need to hear there instead?
- What did I learn about my limits, my needs, or my values?
- What helped me feel even a little more like myself this year?
- If I look at this year with kindness, what stands out?
- What can I leave behind?
- What do I want to carry forward?
- What would it mean to honor this year exactly as it was, rather than how I think it should have been?
Write a letter to yourself
Writing a letter to yourself about the past year is also a gentle, compassionate way to reflect and increase self-awareness and kindness.
Read more: How to Write a Self-Compassion Letter (And Why It Works)
Set intentions for the next year
When you answered the questions above, you’ll have a more clear image of what you need in the coming year. With the following two questions, you can write down what you want to give yourself next year.
- For the coming year, I promise myself to…
- My intention for this year is…
More reflecting: 11 Questions for Reflecting on Self-Compassion and Self-Discovery
Credits image: kevin turcios
