Stop and Think About What Went Well For You This Year

The great thing about any new start are the opportunities just ahead of you. But, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, before you even start to consider the year that’s coming up, take some time and slow down.

It’s still this year. For another day or so.

I don’t know about you, but I find I am so often fighting this feeling that I have to move onto the next side project, task, goal – or school year – that we don’t stop and see where we’ve come from.

Before you can move into the land of The Next Big Thing, make yourself stop, turn around and look back at that great place, Where You Just Came From.

It’s often a nice place that got you to where you are now.

Here in Australia this time of year can often lead to teachers, upcoming teachers and teacher leaders making a key mistake: moving straight onto the next year. Already my Facebook and Instagram feeds are rolling out those amazing products, tips and ideas to help me make 2018 a truly great year.

Please, make it stop.

Don’t get me wrong, I would love a great year next year. However, I have to say I’m pretty bloody proud of some things from this year. I want to take some time to not only remember them, but put aside time to really think about and acknowledge them.

From all of the times I have done this with various students, colleagues and friends, this next step is a core part. Don’t just say what you’re proud of or what went well and stop there.

Now, the important step: make time to identify what helped those achievements happen.

When we put aside time to reflect on what’s happened and are able to work out some possibilities about why it happened, we can actually learn from this time…and then trying to repeat it again and again in new situations and times.

So, how can you go about this? Well, first of all you need to work out how you like to reflect. Over coffee? At the gym? During a hike? With a friend on the phone? While enjoying a delicious dinner with your BFF? Whatever, wherever or whenever you usually feel open to sharing your thoughts, start there and try these questions out: