Questions You’ll Wish You Asked: New Year’s 2022 Edition
Hello my friends,
It’s the last day of 2021.
I’m writing to remind you that merely making it through another year of life, another year in a pandemic, and just making it another year human-ing was enough.
You were enough, you are enough, and you don’t have to make any big resolutions or goals today. (But if you want to, get it!)
Below are some questions to ask as the year winds down.
Pick a few to journal out, ask them tonight at the dinner table, or put them in your back pocket for later reflection.
Allow them to reveal layers of yourself, provide clarity, and help you to hone in on what’s most important as you cross the threshold to a new year.
***
If I could hand myself a short note as I headed into 2021, what would it say?
Where did I have the most fun in 2021? What was really hard for me?
Looking back at the last year, what am I most grateful for?
Where did I struggle the most? How can I love myself within this struggle? What does this struggle have to teach me?
What am I proud of myself for doing this year? (Try to think of both “extrinsic” measurable things, and “intrinsic” immeasurable things.)
What did I learn in 2021? How will this inform 2022?
What was most supportive to me in the last year? What was the most draining?
Where would I like to spend more time in 2022? (What area of life, with whom, and in what actual activities/places?)
Where do I want to spend less time in 2022? (What area of life, with whom, and in what actual activities/places do I want to spend less time?) How can I create the boundaries needed in order to honor this intention?
Where do I want to grow this coming year? (Aspects of self, outside skills, in my community or relationships, etc.) How will I back up this intention with action?
How can I be more compassionate with myself moving into this next year? How can I be more compassionate to others?
How am I already the person that I want to become? What people, places, and things grow the qualities about myself that I already love? How can I center them this year?
What is my intention for the coming year? (This is where it can be fun to choose a word, such as “creativity” or “fun” or “ease” and commit to centering that intentional feeling/word in 2022. Write it on your mirror! Put it in your wallet! Get it printed on your cat’s collar, and be reminded every time you snuggle, lol!)
***
May these questions be the warm hug we all need during these long winter nights.
May your cat’s collar jingle jangle with the word that lights you up in 2022.
May you be safe, may you be healthy, and may you remember that even being alive is a damn miracle.
Happy holidays, many happy returns, and congratulations on making it through another year,
xo,
Melissa
PS: I created a group on Facebook for a group for people who are fans of my writing/the journals I create, wanna read exclusive content, are jazzed to see early cover/reveals and participate in giveaways, want to be a part of testing new ideas, want free books in exchange for giving me honest feedback, are interested in having interesting convos about big questions, and are generally just cool humans.
If that's you then join here! If you want to invite friends, please do! Excited for this and I think we're gonna have a lot of fun.
PPS: I am releasing a new journal - this one is for book lovers! If you love to read and want a place to review or write about the books you love (and much more) you should check it out.
