Every year, we take time not only to reflect on how thankful we are for our families, freedoms, and lives, but we also reflect on what we’ve accomplished(opens in a new tab) during the year. We celebrate our successes and learn from our mistakes, and we decide what we’d like to achieve in the New Year. Here are a few ways to commemorate 2011 and plan 2012. Make a list of your accomplishments. What have you done in 2011? What were your successes and your leaps forward? No matter how small your wins may seem, they are still wins and should be celebrated. List them all so you can see what a tremendous year you’ve had. You may want to list them in categories, such as financial, health, family, etc. Rejoice in how long your list is. Create a second list of your attempted successes that didn’t quite reach the mark. Those are worth celebrating too, even if the outcome wasn’t quite what you had anticipated or wanted. Simply attempting them is a win, and you can always try again. Pat yourself on the back. Look over your lists, and ensure you’ve included everything you’ve accomplished and attempted. You probably didn’t realize you made so many strides in 2011. Spend a little while remembering each accomplishment and how it made you feel. Re-create that feeling. Celebrate you and your success(opens in a new tab)! Use the lists to set your goals for 2012. With the future in mind, decide what you want to try for next year. For each accomplishment, there is probably a natural next step. For example, if you lost 15 pounds, perhaps you would like to lose 10 more—or maybe you’d like to make sure you keep those pounds off by starting an exercise program(opens in a new tab). If you attempted a goal and didn’t reach it this year, do you want to try again? Chances are that you learned something from trying it this year, and your odds of succeeding are even higher now. Give it another shot! Finally, treat yourself to something special. You deserve it for all your hard work, and this is the perfect time to treat yourself. Whether you book a spa day(opens in a new tab), take a trip during the holidays, or buy something you’ve had your eye on, celebrate yourself!
Tell us what you’ve accomplished this year so we can rejoice with you!
