New Year’s Resolutions: Looking Back Before Going Forward

This time last year, our son competed in his first national cross-country meet. He qualified by the peach fuzz on his chinny chin chin, and we flew down to Texas for the race. It was his first taste of big-time athletics, as thousands of fans lined the course at Texas A&M University to watch the contest. He did pretty well, finishing in the middle of the pack. But somewhere along the way, something more important happened. A light turned on in his head. He finally figured out what it meant to compete at a high level. He transformed the way he saw himself and everything changed. I knew what he was capable of, but until that moment, he didn’t. To see him wake up to his potential right before my eyes was one of life’s beautiful gifts.

One year later and about six inches taller, Jackson is now the top of his class, setting the freshman school record at Lewis Palmer High School. He’s killing it. A recent Facebook memories post reminded me of how far he has come over the last twelve months. What about you? How have you changed, grown, regressed, or remained the same since last year? What new people, events, or ideas came into your life this past year that continue to change your future trajectory?

In Caitlin Matthews book The Celtic Spirit, she writes:

“The end of the calendar year is the time when we traditionally look forward and make resolutions for the coming year. But before we can do that, we need also to make a summation of the past year’s achievements and mistakes so that we have a sense of the year’s shape. It may be helpful to wind the year backward, retracing our steps from December back to January. As we go backward, month by month, we can consider the following questions: What was the major theme of this month? Which events made the greatest impression on my life? What did I achieve? What mistakes do I regret? Now look back over the year as a whole and make a summation of its overall pattern and effect upon you. What has the year meant in real terms to you?

I bet you aren’t the same person you were a year ago. I hope you made strides toward better, toward becoming more fully human this past year. Life isn’t a sprint. Keep putting one foot in front of the other, and you just might be surprised at how far you go by this time next year. If you feel stuck, shake things up this coming year. Start a new spiritual practice like meditation, go on a trip to change your perspective, read a new author, be open to what the universe is trying to teach you, and pay attention each day to where you are going and who you are becoming. “Sin happens whenever we refuse to keep growing,” writes Father Richard Rohr. So, keep going and keep growing. 

If you want 2024 to be different than 2023, start today by taking an inventory of the last twelve months. Be honest with yourself about the good and the bad. Don’t be afraid to write down the patterns, beliefs, and habits keeping you from moving forward. Here are a few reflective questions to ponder before you can consider making New Year’s resolutions:

1. Where am I stuck, and what will it take to get me unstuck?

2. What old habits and patterns need to die before I can move forward?

3. What, or who do I need to let go of?

4. What did last year teach me about myself that I didn’t already know?

5. What seeds were sown in 2023 that will harvest in 2024?

6. Looking back, what gave me joy? What made me laugh out loud?

Look back at the person you where a year ago, and give thanks for how far you’ve come. Having made your review, it is now time to consider the year ahead and how it will unfold through new intentions and new resolutions.

Gary Alan