Goodbye 2024

As we approach another year of New Year reflection, 2024 has been nothing short of transformative. Just when we thought we’d finally moved past COVID and “life is going to be easy going from here on,” we were met with profound global shifts – wars, propaganda, and severe economic instability, alongside the groundbreaking artificial intelligence revolution that has redefined our understanding of what’s possible.

Looking back at the year and reflecting can sometimes make us anxious but for that we have a solution, it also gives us the strength and insight we need to accept the past and make better decisions for the future. As we navigate this change, new year reflection becomes our compass for growth and understanding. This year has been a journey of extremes, from deeply challenging times to moments of unprecedented joy.

My Personal New Year Reflection

Challenges of 2024

• Gained 14 kgs (purely stress eating)
• Lived in different country for 10 months of the year
• Left my Masters’ degree incomplete and moved back to India
• Averaged a mere 1000 steps a day (aka extremely lazy/low activity)
• Increased my caffeine intake to an alarming 4 to 5 cups of coffee a day
• Took a career break for the first time in 5 years

Triumphs of 2024

• Put on 6 kgs of muscle
• Increased strength by 35%
• Started a blog that I have been procrastinating on for 2 years
• Got 7 to 8 hours of sleep consistently for the first time in my life
• Lost 5 kgs (in the last 2 months)
• Increased my consistency and sticking to tasks by 70%
• Successfully made an incredibly difficult career transition

Reflection is a powerful tool, but its impact depends entirely on how we use it.

Negative reflection is like quicksand – ruminating on the past keeps us stuck in an unproductive loop, preventing us from moving forward. For reflection to truly serve its purpose, it must be positive and solution-focused. This is the only way to use our past experiences to propel us into the new year with clarity and purpose.

“The difference between failure and success is reflection” – John C. Maxwell

In a life this unpredictable, not knowing what the future holds for us; We must use our much-ignored tool of memory and the ability to adapt to lead us in the right direction.

Inner Reflection: Questions That Matter

Questions about the Past Year

• What have been my biggest struggles of 2024? and What are the most important things I’ve learnt from them?
• What is the one tiny thing I can do before the year ends that helps me start 2025 on a positive note?
• Time is the most valuable resource we have! What are the things I wasted time on in the past year that I can avoid in 2025?

“The Quality of your Life is a direct reflection of the Quality of Questions you ask Yourself” – Tony Robbins

If you are confused about what you want from the coming year, the following questions will help you gain clarity on it, I recommend creating a list of goals based off the answers you have for these questions.

Questions for 2025

• What’s the one thing I could work on this year (that has a ripple effect on the rest of my life?/that has the potential to change my life?)
• What is the one thing I will do selfishly (only for myself) this year that makes me happy?
• What is the worst and best-case scenario that could happen if I make a leap for my dream in 2025? (See Fear Setting)

Your Next Chapter

If 2024 was a movie, it would definitely be in the Horror-Comedy genre category. But that’s exactly why our New Year reflection matters more than ever. We’ve all had those moments this year where we felt like both the hero and the person who trips in the horror movie (sometimes on the same day).

You know what’s beautiful about reflection though? It’s like having a time machine, but instead of going back to fix things, we get to use those experiences as our personal cheat codes for the future. Whether 2024 had you feeling like you were playing life on hard mode or experiencing occasional moments of ‘I’ve got this’ energy, every bit of it counts.

As we gear up for 2025, let’s take this New Year reflection and turn it into action. Think of it as upgrading your life’s operating system – keeping what works, uninstalling what doesn’t, and adding new features that align with who you’re becoming.

Remember, we’re not just aiming for efficiency (doing things right) anymore – we’re levelling up to efficacy (doing the right things). It’s like the difference between being really good at climbing a ladder and making sure that the ladder is leaning against the right wall in the first place.

So here’s to 2025 – may your reflexes be quick, your New Year reflection be deep, and your moves be as strategic as a chess player (but hopefully more exciting). Whether you’re planning to conquer the world or just finally organize that one drawer we all have, make it count.

Remember that sometimes the biggest wins come from the smallest shifts in perspective, aiming for asymmetrical returns. After all, a New Year reflection is the one activity that takes about 15 minutes but has an impact for 365 days.