Every year, I create a list of reflection questions to help my clients close out the year before they move into the next. The holiday season can be hurried and hectic, so it is a bit of a paradoxical time to do exactly what winter asks us to do – rest and go inward.

Reflection is a vital part of personal development because it’s a skill that requires honesty, self-awareness, and examination. How can we create new visions for our life without considering where we have been? Reflection is a feminine energy and often underused in our get-it-done culture. We all possess feminine energy regardless of gender. It’s the energy of listening, receiving, and embodying. The feminine energy is open to flow – the often internal, subtle cues of co-creating with life – this is where its power lies. And, because of this very subtlety, the feminine can be often overlooked.  So, in the spirit of feminine energy, I invite you to pose these questions to yourself and reflect upon your answers.

1. What inspired/excited me in 2024?
2. How did I grow this year?
3. What hardships did I overcome and how did I handle them?
4. Where did life flow easily for me?
5. What got in my way this year?
6. What am I most proud of in 2024?
7. If I had one word to describe 2024, what would it be? And, why?

Once you have completed your reflection, you can then use your answers to inform what you want to create for the upcoming year. This is how you develop the skill of being intentional. Resist the temptation to go into the masculine energy – action mode and start goal-setting for 2025 without reflecting on the previous year. Even if you reflect on 2024 in late January of 2025 – it’s okay. One year, I reflected on the previous year in February and did goal-setting in March. It was unusual for me, but that’s just how my year started off. This is an example of feminine energy – not forcing things and also not holding yourself to beliefs or timelines that do not serve you. One final reminder. We all have access and embody both feminine and masculine energy. It’s critical to know when to use them. In this case, reflection first (feminine) and then, goal-setting (masculine), next.

(If you are interested in learning more about reflection, I recommend this HBR article on self-reflection as a competency.)

Happy Holidays Everyone!