As an outcome-oriented psychotherapist and coach, much of my work supports clients in developing self-awareness and making changes. Here are some tips for reflecting and planning. Can you believe we are half way through 2023 already? Time to reflect on the year so far and to gather your thoughts for the second half of the year.
Reflections on the year so far
The first step is to reflect. It’s not always useful to think of things in terms of good and bad, often there is more insight when we reflect on each as the unique experience it was, and look for what the experience has brought us. You might ask yourself:
1. What did I want to have happen this year?
2. What did happen - what kind of year has it been so far?
3. Where is my attention drawn – what stands out? What is significant?
4. When did I feel the most ‘me’?
5. What strengths and talents have I drawn on this year?
6. What did I learn?
7. How have I changed?
8. What has gone really well that I want to keep? How did I do that?
9. How do I now want to change?
The challenge is to notice the patterns in what has happened. The story of your year so far can take you so far, but noticing the dynamics and themes that come up again and again can take you that bit deeper into self-knowledge, and enable you to begin to make changes based on what you see. It’s a bit like the events are the waves on the ocean, while it’s the ocean bed that shapes their form and intensity.
Energising the new
Having reflected on the last six months, you might now build some momentum for the remainder of the year by reflecting on what you now want. Here are some prompt questions:
1. What do I want to have happen?
Be specific, state it in the positive, and dare to dream!
2. And if that happens…then what happens? What will be the benefits?
Knowing your why is important, you can use these motivations to keep going if things get tough.
3. For what I want to happen to happen, I need to be like what?
This question is about responsibility, how can you live in a way that will make your outcomes more likely, how can you be congruent with what you want?
4. To have the six months I want, what support do I need from other people?
No-one is an island, and reflecting on what help and support you need up front can help you get it in place.
5. What do I most value in life that I want to prioritise this year? How can I better express what I value?
Knowing what we value and being true to our values helps us to feel at peace, it gets our whole system aligned. (changed you to we to have consistency in sentence with our and us)
6. What one thing will most make my heart sing in the six months ahead?
Here, the key thing is to notice what energises you, and to build that into your summer and autumn.
Finding support in your next chapter
Psychotherapy can be really helpful to go deeper with your reflections. It may be part of your plan to understand old patterns and free yourself of them, or perhaps you want to find new ways of being that will improve your quality of life. If you want to explore your intentions and move on from what is past, get in touch.
