Goodbye 2016, Hello 2017

Jackie Breen
Dec 22, 2016
7 min read

2016 has been an emotionally draining year. Personally and for the world as a whole. The end of the year is the best time to reflect upon the past year and prepare for the new year. A new year is the perfect opportunity to reevaluate our goals, intentions and life mission. Have the things you have done the past year lead you on the path you want to be on? What is going to change this next year?

I have made a habit at the end of the year of evaluating this past year and planning to the year ahead. This time of reflection reveals many things about what matters most, what needs more attention and how in line I am with my own life plan. Self reflection is incredibly important in our ability to accomplish our life goals. With constant reflection we can check in with ourselves and make sure we are doing what is most important.

At the end of every year I ask myself some very important questions to make sure my path is true.

1. What am I most proud of this year?

Swallowing my pride and making decisions that would pay off in the long run

2. How can I become better at selflessness?

Pause and reflect
Think of the other people before me, other situations, other battles
The little things are easy, remember that

3. Where am I feeling stuck?

Career
I do not want to do something that gives me no fulfillment but I do not know where to go
How do I create a path with the things that do give me fulfillment
Travel decisions
The world is what I want, I want to see it all and experience it all
How do I make it possible without missing out on my life here?
Who is on my side?
What do I want my life right now to be?
When I look back to I want my memories in my 20's to be in Cary, IL with my family or do I want them to be of experience and stories of the world
Time
I feel like everything is hitting at once and it all cannot be possible

4. Am I passionate about my career?

No
It is that simple I am not at all

5. What lessons have I learned?

Trust yourself
Do not be with someone just to be with someone, if someone doesn't want you they will never want you
Find yourself first before committing to anything, you have to know what you want
Alcohol is not good for me, it leads to many bad decisions and bring out a hurtful side of me
It is easier to let go and forget than to try to fix

6. How did I spend my free time?

Researching entrepreneurs and their skills
Learning how to create a website and created my own blog
Running
Learning new skills from my influences

7. How well did I take care of my body, mind, and soul?

This is a tough one...
I ran a marathon and workout but I know I could have been kinder to my body
I could have focused more on efficient recovery and longevity
The first half of the year I was not ok to myself
I allowed myself to tear myself down and be sad over a situation a couldn't control
I drank, I was miserable and I wasn't taking care of myself
Once I got out of the situation I was in I began to find myself
I checked in with my body consistently
I removed alcohol in any excess
I began focusing on what my body and mind needed to achieve

8. How have I procrastinated?

YouTube
I got sucked into this world for a while and it wasn't helping me
some videos I have found are inspiring but what I was doing consistently was not benefiting me
TV
the beginning of the year I didn't know what to do with myself so the TV was my outlet

9. In what ways can I re-structure my time?

Evaluate each week
Find where I have time to give more
Check in with myself when I know there is time being wasted

10. How have I allowed fear of failure hold me back?

I cannot commit to the lifestyle I want because I'm scared that:
There won't be enough money
I won't achieve the life I want and I will be left to answer the "why's" and "I told you so's"
I won't have a place to come back to
My life will be a mess if I can't figure it out
I won't accomplish the things I want

11. Where has self-doubt taken over?

Committing to my website and blog
Fitness and nutrition
Telling myself I can't do it again

12. When have I felt the most alive?

Running
Snowboarding in Colorado
In Tomahawk
When I didn't have a job for 3 weeks
Traveling anywhere
Watching the Cubs win

13. How have I taught others to respect me?

Not giving in to people's demands
Standing up for what I believe in and what matter to me
Being honest about who I am

14. How can I improve my relationships?

Family
Be more helpful and reliable
Welcome conversation
Friends
Give more or myself
An other
Be more accepting and open

15. Have I been unfair to anyone?

My parents
It is easy to take parents for granted and I need to be more aware of my attitude

16. Who do I need to forgive?

People who have hurt me
I hold grudges and I do not forget but in the end that only hurts me
Myself
I have not lived up to the standards that I have set for myself and I need to let that anger go

17. Where is it time to let go?

Old relationships
I am perpetually hurt by people that leave me
Friends...relationships...years later it hurts
I need to let go and relieve that stress and pain

18. What old habits would I like to release?

Excuses
If it is cleaning, going out, reading, etc...I always have a reason why not to
Silent Judgement
On the surface I do not judge people but underneath I know I judge people pretty critically

19. What new habits would I like to cultivate?

Eagerness
For new things and new experiences
Doing the opposite
Doing things different than 2015/2016 Jackie
Joy

20. How can I be kind to myself?

Practice what I preach
Treat my body like the temple it is
Do not self criticize
There are enough people to do the criticizing

21. Are you in love with the idea of something? Or are you in love with the process

YES: Long Term Travel
I think about this every single day
In any small or large way I make steps to actualize this idea
Writing
The idea of writing and creating something is so profound to me

22. How did you surprise yourself in 2016?

When I just let go
I was in an unhealthy relationship-type-thing and it took a while but once I got it I let go
Getting a PR in a really difficult marathon
I quit a a job I hated without a job lined up and everything worked out

23. What are you most grateful for as this year draws to a close?

My family
Not many people are blessed with the situation that I have

24. Where was the best place you traveled to this year?

Keystone, Colorado

25. What did you do for the first time in 2016?

Got a ticket

26. What did you do for the last time in 2016?

Let other people dictate my emotions

27. What hurt you this year?

Being told "I don't want you"
A lot of my year was shaped after being told this
It made me rethink a lot of things

28. What were you most afraid of this year?

Going broke

29. What was the most valuable thing you spent money on this year?

Travel
Running Shoes

30. What did you waste too much money on this year?

Food

31. What was the best book you read in 2016?

Sapiens
Vagabonding

32. What do you wish you’d spent more time doing this year?

Learning how to promote my website
Going out and experiencing things
Developing a business

33. What began for you in 2016?

Self confidence
Not to be afraid of the things that I want

34. What is one change you want to make next year?

A more mindful spirit and attitude

35. What song will always remind you of this year?

Send My Love by Adele
Church Bells by Carrie Underwood
Never Forget You by Zara Larsson

36. How did this year differ from the way you thought it would go?

I thought I would be with someone who I was the world to
I thought I would already be traveling
I thought I would be living out of state
I thought I would have a fulfilling job

37. Which quote best sums up the past year for you?

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain
“People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive” -Joseph Campbell

38. Did your heart break this year?

Yes
On a personal level
For the world
This was a really difficult year to be a part of between the terrorist attacks, the US election, and seeing how many lives were destroyed this year it has been more than heart breaking

39. If you could go back and give yourself a single piece of advice on the first day of 2016, what would it be?

Give it your all and do not settle for less than your dreams
Everything has a way of working itself out so do not waster time getting to a certain point before going out and doing what you want just do what you want
There will always be something in the way, something that makes your decisions a little harder but those will always be there so you just have to make a move

40. What’s the most important thing you learned this year?