Questions I asked myself to reflect on 2023

2023 was my favourite year. I came to this conclusion by asking myself really important questions. What's really interesting about 2023 is the fact that I didn't even achieve what I thought/wanted to achieve. I learnt that I don't have to be hustling all the time to have a good year. 

Something I did in 2023 that was different to any other year was truly letting myself be. I let myself feel and experience everything. I had so many moments this year that left me crying, laughing and wondering. It was amazing.  

The questions I asked myself that I want YOU to ask yourself: 

1. Did this year fly by? 

This is a question about being present.

For me, if time starts flying, it means I'm not being present. You can just simply ask yourself if you've been present this whole year. But for me, I ask myself if time is flying because it's the biggest indicator that I'm not focusing on the present, that I'm just living for the future. So if I don't know the date or the time (or have to think about it), it means I need to slow down. 

2. Was I living by my values this year?

I feel like a lot of us say we value certain things but don't prove it. Sometimes we say we value things to seem like we know what we're doing or we are a good person. Nowadays it seems as if we all value things that give us a quick dopamine hit over things that provide long lasting happiness. 

If you value your health, you would do anything in your power to protect it. So in 2023, did you prove time and time again that you value whatever it is that you value. 

If you found that you did not live by your values, do you even value those things at all? Maybe they're just things you WANT to value. We need to understand what is truly important to us. We can't speak of values lightly. They aren't things we just sometimes think about, they make up who we are. 

If you found that you DID live by your values, great, still reflect on it. Are your values encouraging growth and long term happiness? And how did you prove that those are your values time and time again? Are you willing to keep living by those values in the new year?

3. Did I take care of myself this year?

If you answered no to this question, really think about why. You deserve to treat yourself with kindness, love, warmth and with care. Taking care of yourself can look like reducing social media time, engaging in hobbies, spending time with people you love, exercising, eating foods that fuel you and anything that provides long lasting happiness. 

If you answered no to this questions, really think about why. Why did you continue to hang out with that toxic person? Why did you think retail therapy could cure your sadness? Why did you neglect your hobbies? Why are you turning to quick fixes? 

Do you want to carry these behaviours into 2024? I don't think you do. You deserve the best.

If you answered yes, great, but still reflect on HOW you took care of yourself this year. Sometimes it FEELS like you're taking care of yourself when all you're really doing is distracting yourself from a deeper issue/emotion. For example, retail therapy. For me personally, if I decide to go shopping when I'm feeling down, I end up buying something I don't really need. That money could go towards buying myself a membership to a gymnastics class or a holiday. Choose how you take care of yourself wisely. 

4. Did I surprise myself this year?

Were there moments this year that left you thinking "damn, was that really me?".  Give yourself a pat on the back if you did anything this year that challenged what you previously believed about yourself or a situation. Surprising yourself is, however, not always a good thing. You could surprise yourself by doing things you thought you wouldn't do like hanging out with a toxic person or dropping a hobby that you usually enjoy. 

Think about the times you surprised yourself but also if it’s something that aligns with your values and if it’s the best version of you that was being exposed. 

5. Who helped and supported me this year?

I feel like we sometimes forget to give credit to those who really supported and helped us. Not only during bad times, but when we've got ideas and goals. Who was there this year for you that proved time and time again that they've got your back. We need to thank those people. We need to appreciate them and make sure we're also supporting them. 

6. For all the pain I felt this year, did I truly go through it? How did I grow from it?

I feel like we either only remember the pain we felt or only the good times. Think about the pain you felt this year. First of all, give yourself a pat on the back. Life can get hard. What's most important when going through tough times is to truly experience it and grow from it. 

Did you let yourself feel everything you wanted to feel. Did you cry? Did you grieve? Did you suppress your feelings? If you suppressed your feelings, why did you do that? 

I don't want to go into 2024 with 2023 baggage. I feel like life is so much easier when I deal with emotions as soon as I experience them. If someone hurts me or something tragic happens, I let myself fully feel everything. I personally don't want to deal with old pain. It's also never too late to experience pain or any emotion fully. There's a lot of beauty in healing no matter when you do it. 

Let yourself heal. Let yourself bloom. 

Hasna 

22/12/23