Reflecting Looking Towards 2021

With the last few days of 2020 ticking away, dare we say it actually feels strange to be leaving this year behind us? Through the hardships and uncertainty, it might feel comforting to leave 2020 behind you. And to those who have experienced personal loss this year, our hearts are with you and your family. That is why this week, we encourage you to use the last few days of December to reflect on the past year. What did you overcome? How did you change? What will you happily be leaving in the past?

This week can also be a time for hopeful wishes. How can you take the energy of 2020 and reshape it into a productive and optimistic outlook? What goals do you have? What people do you want to reconnect with? Uncover the answer to all of these questions by reflecting with one of our suggestions here on the blog today. Grab your journal, hiking boots, or camera and let’s get started.

Writing

Call Family

A phone call or FaceTime with a family member or close friend can be a great way to get a laugh in, share stories, and reflect. A great activity to practice is rose and thorn, which asks participants to say their low point (thorn) of the year (or month, day, quarantine, etc.) and their high point (rose). We recommend starting with thorn so you can bring the spirits up with your rose. This activity sparks great conversation, good reflection, and appreciation for the things that were great.

Connect With Nature

Take a bike ride, hike, or walk this week and connect with nature. Doing so with family (or alone) is a great way to remove yourself from the physical bounds of your home and the online, social media world. It allows you to see what is going on around you, appreciate where you live, and open your mind to fresh thoughts.

Photo Projects

Take a scroll through your camera roll and create a photo project. This can look as simple as creating an album on your phone of all of the pictures / videos / screenshots from the year that make you smile and make you happy. Finding and reflecting on these images can be a great way to reminisce and appreciate the year. Your photo project can go as far as creating a slideshow to view with your family or printing the photos to display throughout your home. Either way, use photos to reflect on 2020 this week!

Read

Sometimes connecting means disconnecting. Find some peace this week and learn lessons to bring with you into 2021 by picking up your favorite book. Getting lost in a book is an easy way to forget about the current state of the world, because you involve yourself in a new one. Grab a book, a blanket, your beverage of choice, and get lost!

Identify Core Values

When looking towards 2021, what are the most important things that correspond with your core beliefs? What is important for your family and for your kids? How do you want to give and receive love? Where do your responsibilities lie? What relationships are bringing positivity to you? Using this website with core belief worksheets, you can further explore the most important things to you going into 2021.

Identify Blessings

Reflecting on the positives of 2020 and what elements you want your carry into 2021 is a calming exercise to try this week. This can be done in many of the ways listed above, but keeps your mind positive and forward-thinking. Ask yourself who you love, who loves you, what do you have that others don’t, or perhaps how you feel fulfilled. These realizations will spark the self-conversations that are so important during this time of year.

Whether you try some of these exercises or embark on your own, we hope that you take some time for personal reflection as we approach the end of the year. Thank you so much, Whitney Ranch families, for an amazing year and for always coming back to the blog. Have a great end of 2020, and here’s to a fruitful and plentiful 2021!