To Move Ahead, Look Back

A little reflection can last all year!

Jan 13, 2025

In with a sneeze …

I started the year sick.

Did a lot of stuff leading up to 1/1, then paid the price the next day.

Not hard-core partying or anything (I’m long past that…in fact, I never really did that!), but just pushing and pushing and getting too close to people’s faces, and … well … you know how it goes.

Anyway, 2025 came in with a crash and continued with a cough.

New year, new energy

I believe that new years come with new energies. It’s a good time to make a fresh start (if that’s needed) and to decide on a direction we want to take.

But this year, that was all kind of upended for me.

Instead of feeling good and waltzing forward into a fresh 365-day calendar, I had a lot of time on my hands to lay around with a big ol’ box of tissues and ponder not what was ahead (I was too stuffed up and exhausted for THAT task), but instead, to reflect on where I’d been.

There’s value in that, too.

Yes, people always talk about using the end of the old year to reflect before ringing in the new, but that look back tends to get lost in the shuffle.

It becomes a quick “whatever” before the excitement of “what’s ahead” takes over.

I think many of us are so intent on getting on with things that we don’t properly get off the last ride.

We hold on and hold on and that can really weigh us down.

The power of reflection

Reflecting on situations is important, because it can show us places in our lives where we’re clinging or holding on.

If we take a few moments to reflect on life, it’ll show us where we can let go and maybe free up some space for other things.

See, anger, resentment, etc. all take up room inside us. If we can reflect on situations where those things come up and stick around, we can figure out where we need to do some clearing away.

That way, different experiences can come in.

Fresh energy has a place to stop and stay.

So, spend some time in reflection, identify those unhealthy clingers, and try dropping things that don’t serve you so you can move on with a little more peace and space.

Yes, that’s much easier said, than done, but here are some ways to start:

-Keep a journal by your bed and write about what bothered you during the day. Let those emotions flow, reflect on them, then close the journal and go to sleep.

-Call a friend and process the junk. Get a fresh perspective. A pain or grievance that’s shared and processed with a trusted person may just become nothing but a little story you share down the line.

-Visualize. See yourself in your mind carrying a suitcase filled with the problems between you and a person you’re upset with. Step up to them, nod kindly, and place the suitcase at their feet. Then, walk away. (You can make up a thousand variations of this.)

-Simply reflect on a difficult situation from the day and quietly say, “I forgive you.”

Reflect – each day

Here’s the MtE tip: Reflect when you can.

I resolved to use December 2024 to reflect. I got busy, and didn’t really do it.

So, what did the Universe do? It sent me a loooooong head cold to ring in the New Year and forced me to lay in bed and do it.

And I did.

Don’t be me and delay.

Instead, take time during the day or week and spend a few minutes reflecting on events, and finding things you might want to let go of.

Reflect on what you can drop and release to make room for what’s next.

Yes, what’s next may be a cold. But it could also be something greater than you ever imagined.

You just need to make room for it.

Mastering the Everyday

Discussion about this post