Journaling: Reflections and Intentions for the New Year (or any “New” Beginning)

*Please note this was written at the end of 2020, but these prompts can be used whenever!

2020 is coming to a close and wow, this year was a doozy!

I can’t emphasize enough that this past year of the pandemic, stay at home orders, racial injustices, protests, and election stress and chaos has really done a number on our mental psyche.

Any kind of stress, anxiety, depression and/or relationship struggles have definitely been magnified and amplified big time with the world-wide crisis we have all been experiencing.

It’s easy to go into the self-critic role. To beat ourselves up for not doing “more,” for not getting our “act together,” for being “lazy” by watching too much Netflix and eating comfort food.

Yet, we have survived. We have persevered each day, even if that just means doing the bare minimum to get through the day, we did it.

We still have some long months ahead of us and there is a small light at the end of the tunnel that will slowly get bigger and bigger.

The end of the year and New Year can be a great time of reflection and intention setting. While the word “Resolution” comes with a mixed bag of beliefs around it, getting some clarity around what we want for ourselves, how we want to spend our time, and setting some intentions can be very valuable.

I’ve put together the following writing prompts as a way to reflect through this past year and get some clarity on what you want to focus on for this next year.

As you do this, take great care to be gentle on yourself. Remember, we have been in the greatest worldwide crisis in over 100 years, whatever you have done to survive is more than enough!

Reflection

This past year, I have learned the following about myself:

I have realized the following are really important to me:

What challenges, obstacles, and emotions came up for me this past year?

What have I learned about the above?

What kind of action or steps can I take regarding the above moving forward?

Do I need to forgive myself for anything this past year (or maybe from years before)?

What do I need to let go of to bring more peace and/or joy in my life (this can be figuratively or literally)?

I am proud of the following:

I appreciate the following about myself:

I am grateful for:

Checking-In

What emotions/feelings am I experiencing right now?

How do I physically feel?

Are there emotions I am resisting?

What actions can I take to experience more emotional acceptance in 2021?

Take Action

What can I learn from any discomfort I am feeling?

How can I work towards cultivating peace and acceptance daily?

Set Intentions

How do I want to feel this next year?

How do I want others to receive my words, energy and actions this next year?

Some ways I can take care of myself this next year are:

3 Words that capture my intentions/focus for this next year:

Therapy Reflections & Goals

For those in therapy, this is a great time to reflect on your progress and set new goals (if appropriate). Here are some prompts to help with that and feel free to take this to your therapy session and share with your therapist.

Some helpful things that occurred or I learned from therapy this past year were:

Some things that I would like to have more of or address more in session*:

I felt misunderstood or was confused around*:

This next year in therapy, I’d like to learn or better understand the following:

I would like my therapist to know the following about myself (or about my thoughts on therapy):

Some goals I want for therapy this year are:

Be Gentle With Yourself

As you go through these prompts, remember to be gentle with yourself. This has been a really intense year and what you did was enough.

Disclaimer: This is not a replacement for a therapeutic relationship or mental health services. This is for educational purposes only and should be in used only in conjunction in working with a licensed mental health professional. If you are in California and looking for a professional therapist feel free to use the contact me to request an appointment or search Psychology Today for local therapists in your area.