End of Year Reflection + Gratitude & Intention Setting

Step 1:

PART A: REFLECTION

Reflection is a powerful practice that can support us to be at our personal best. It can reveal strengths and areas for improvement - to learn from past experiences, course correct, and apply to the next opportunity.

The Process

Take yourself (or a team) through the reflection. You can ask the following series of questions.

Prompts for areas of focus: 

Work, Teamwork, Collaboration, Leadership, Mindset, Creativity, Technology know-how, Relationships, Belonging/DEIB, Health (mental/physical), Personal meaning/Purpose, Community service, Planet health, Lifelong Learning, Profitability, Products & Services, Innovation... or choose your own!

Step 2:

What stands out in 2022 that I can do differently or improve?
Approximately 5-10 minutes

Step 3:

What did I do well in 2022?
How did this impact myself? Others?
What will I CONTINUE to do/be in 2023?
Approximately 5-10 minutes

Step 4:

What will I STOP doing/being in 2023?
How might this impact myself? Others?
Approximately 5-10 minutes

Step 5:

What will I START doing/being in 2023?
How might this impact myself? Others?
Approximately 5-10 minutes

Step 6:

What did I learn? What insights do I have from 2022?
How might I apply my learnings/insights?
When could I implement these?
Do I need to reach out to anyone for any support? (who/what/when)
Approximately 5-10 minutes

Step 7:

Ciao-Ciao 2022, Hello 2023!
Take a deep breath and let go of what no longer serves you. Make some room for new experiences. Otto Scharmer refers to this in Theory U, referring to letting go to let come.
Let's tell it like it is, it's tough to create new experiences when baggage from the past is dragging us down. We need to pause, reflect, learn and keep trying!
Facilitator notes
If we're making mistakes, we're trying! The important thing is that we reflect, learn, and try again. It's about PROGRESS not perfection.

Step 8:

PART B: Gratitude

Do you practice gratitude? Would you like to try it? Daily gratitude feels soooo good.
Harvard Health Publishing says "In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness.
Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships."

The Process

Reflect upon and free-write for approximately 10 minutes on the highlights you've experienced over the past 12 months for which you are most grateful for.
Approximately 10 minutes

Step 10:

PART C: Set an Intention for 2023

Set an intention for what you want to be, what you want to do, and how you will show up in the world.

An intention shouldn’t be confused with a goal—it’s not attaching an expectation or an evaluation. It’s something you want to align with in your life. It’s an aim, a direction, a decision, a mindset, or an attitude you’re energized to commit to (that aligns with your personal values).

Setting an intention is a deliberate and conscious act that can help you create the life you want. ..."You have an intention before you take action. Another way to think about intentions is that they are an energetic spark in you that fuels what you want."

PROCESS:
Quiet your mind by taking a few deep breaths and give yourself permission to explore:

• What intention do you want to set for yourself in 2023?
• Think about what you want to do and How you want to show up in the world.
• How do you want to show up for work, family, and friends?
• What can you do/be to support the type of world you want to live in?
• Anything else you want to focus on?

When this step feels complete, pause and be present in this moment.
Connect to the work you've just done, and positively acknowledge yourself. Well done!
Approximately 5-10 minutes

Step 11:

Congratulations to you! Taking a pause for reflection is a super habit to cultivate!
Life is complex and uncertain. We have the choice to interpret challenging moments in a way that is either helpful or impeding.

We can choose to view what's happened in the past year as an opportunity to reflect, learn and develop or as something that feels heavy and is perceived as a blocker.

Choosing to see things through the lens of learning, we have the opportunity of making 2023 a successful year for us - however we personally define our own success! What do you choose?

This is not about right and wrong, this is about recognizing what works for you and what doesn't.

Variations

• Tailor this reflection as a team process.
• Choose to make this entire process as long or short as you need, time is given as an estimate only.

Tips for running this activity online

• Pick an online whiteboard tool that allows to use a large, zoomable canvas.
• Set up each topic at a different area of the board, spread them out just like you would do it on a the walls of a room.
• Invite participants to zoom in and visit each section and add their ideas as sticky notes once you reach that section of the exercise.
• If you’re not using an online whiteboard, we’d recommend using a collaboration tool such as Google Docs to collect the information for each step under a separate heading. Invite everyone into the document but be very clear in regards to editing rights.
• Precreate your screen deck and screen share this with your participants through your video conferencing software. We’d also recommend sharing this so participants can go through the deck again during the reflection steps.
• When facilitating group discussion, we’d recommend that participants use non-verbal means to indicate they’d like to speak. You can use tools like Zoom’s nonverbal feedback tools, a reaction emoji, or just have people put their hands up.The facilitator can then invite that person to talk.