Weekly musings, 12/31/17: Reflections and accomplishments

Weekly musings, 12/31/17: Reflections and accomplishments
As 2017 winds down, it’s easy to get caught up in what you want to change for 2018. But what about what simply reflecting on what you accomplished the last year?

Every December, towards the end of the month, I comb my business account and put together my expenses, profits, and losses for my accountant. I used to dread doing it because it takes time and money can be a little anxiety provoking for me. But I have found the ritual of looking at my statements and reflecting, month by month, on what happened financially over the course of the year actually gives me perspective on what I did well and what can be improved for the next year. Since money is, for better or for worse, tied to things like learning, traveling, and trying new things (at least from a business perspective), it also gives me an opportunity to assess whether I made good decisions. Money well spent, at least in my world, leads to enrichment in some way. If I learned something that I can apply to my life or my work, I made a good decision; if not, I should probably avoid repeating the same mistake in the future.

I am not suggesting everyone undertake the tedium that is bookkeeping to reflect upon their year. However, I do think having a written account of some variable in your life, whether it’s your mood, how you felt during your workouts, or how many minutes you devoted to a breathing practice can help with an honest reflection of time that has past. We all know that strength and mobility require consistency; whether your consistent program is working requires honest self assessment; a written log of some sort can help keep you reflect on a deeper, less biased level.

Cheers to a happy, healthy 2018!