In 2022 I finally wrote one of my own “Year in Review” posts after years of mulling over the idea. I did it because I finally reached a breaking point when it came to experiencing my own life and was sick of feeling like a bystander to major milestones and events. In my first annual reflection, I had written, “I don’t want my life to be something that just happens to me, and for the last few years it feels like it’s just been whizzing by. So, I am hoping that writing ‘Year in Review’s and intentionally reflecting on the last twelve months will help me feel like that’s less of the case.”

Twelve months later, I can confirm that it’s been an incredibly fruitful experience. This year feels, for lack of a better phrase, very much “lived in.” I opted for a different approach compared to 2022 and wrote a reflection on a monthly basis with the following questions in mind:

1. What experiences did I have this month?
2. What did those experiences mean to me?
3. What major realizations did I have as a result?

Opting for a monthly reflection rather than an annual one that began at the end of November continuing through the last week of December made my feelings and thoughts feel more…genuine and less like I’d miss a crucial detail or two. And it ultimately made this “Year in Review” feel less rushed. Moving forward, I plan to continue with this approach.

Now let’s get into it!

One of my favorite things about the end of every year is the endless list of “Year in Review” posts I get to read. I tell myself on an annual basis that I’ll write one of my own, not for public consumption but for the sake of keeping track of a life that moves at 1,000 miles an hour. Annually you’ll hear me say, “I feel like I blinked and now it’s 202_” and it’s true! I used to have a personal newsletter that helped me keep track of most, if not all, of the events in my life and that was helpful but I really had to dig through the archive to get a sense of the entire year.

I don’t want my life to be something that just happens to me, and for the last few years it feels like it’s just been whizzing by. I am hoping that writing “Year in Review”s and intentionally reflecting on the last twelve months will help me feel like that’s less of the case. So here we go!