Looking Back and Looking Ahead: The Practice of Reflection

“Moving into a new year doesn’t mean starting over, it means starting again, armed with wisdom we’ve gathered along the way.”

I heard author, podcaster, and theologian Kate Bowler (one of my favorite follows on the Internet nowadays) say this quote at the end of a recent episode of her podcast, Everything Happens. In this episode, Kate and fellow podcaster Kelly Corrigan reflect on their year. It was a timely listen because as one year ends and another begins, my inbox and social media feeds are filled with “year in review” messages. The most popular one I’ve seen is the infamous Spotify “Wrapped” post, but there are others. The end of a calendar year and the start of a new one is a natural time for people to look back on what’s happened in their lives while also looking ahead at what is to come.

Though I do spend time at the end of a year reflecting, I have also tried to integrate a practice of reflection into my life throughout the entire year. Taking regular time to pause and think about what I’m learning and experiencing—about God and myself—helps me stay grounded and encourages me to pay attention to what is happening and how it affects me. Then, at the end of the year, I can look back and find patterns, themes, and other nuggets of wisdom that bring insight to my continued discernment and planning (both professionally and personally.)

Participating in the regular practice of reflection is meaningful, and for me it is an important part of how I spend time with God. However, it can also feel like a daunting task. Here are a few things I have learned as I’ve developed my own practices of regular reflection.

1. Intentional reflection doesn’t need to happen every day.

As a tween and teenager, I went through periods when keeping a diary or journal was a part of my life. However, as an adult, I’ve never been able to incorporate the daily practice of long-form journaling into the rhythms of my day. I can do it for short spurts of time or alongside devotional practices during Advent and Lent, but journaling every day just isn’t my thing. Instead, I focus my reflection on a weekly, monthly, and seasonal (usually quarterly) pattern. I do write things down (I will share the journals I use at the end of this post), but it isn’t always daily. Instead, I spread out the frequency in a way that makes it possible for me to keep up with the practice. Everyone should find the rhythm that works best for their life.

2. Reflection can happen at any time.

I try to make reflection a part of a weekly Sabbath practice. Though I try my hardest to take Sabbath time each week, in certain seasons of life it’s hard to consistently do that. I still try to find fifteen minutes every week to sit down and write out what I experienced. Sometimes, it’s on a Friday night before falling asleep, while other weeks, it’s over a cup of tea on a slow Saturday morning. Sometimes, it happens at 2 p.m. on another day the following week when it’s the only time I have to breathe! What matters isn’t when you do the practice, it’s that the practice happens. If you can’t find a consistent time for reflection, that is okay.

3. Reflection can happen by yourself or in community with others.

Although I practice most reflection solo, I also appreciate reflecting with other people. Practicing reflection together is a great way to engage in cross-generational and family ministry! In our youth group, each person is invited to share the highs and lows of their week every time we meet. It’s an easy way for us to think about what’s going on in our lives, but it also opens the opportunity to support, pray for, and care for each other. Participating in a regular practice of reflection with others encourages listening and empathy, and it helps people know and understand that they have communities that love and support them through the highs and lows of life.

4. There is no right or wrong way to engage in the practice of reflection.

There are so many ways people can practice reflection. I’ve already talked about a couple of them here: journaling and sharing highs and lows. However, I’ve seen these other practices, too.

• taking a photo a day
• making a gratitude list
• engaging in something like this Joy Jar
• recording quotes that stand out to you

Again, this is less about how you engage in the practice, and more about engaging in the practice itself.

Resources to facilitate regular reflection

There are many different resources out there that can help facilitate the regular practice of reflection. Here are a few of my favorites:

• One Line a Day: I particularly like this one because it’s a low-pressure way to record something that happens in your life every day. And because it’s on a five-year cycle, I can notice patterns that emerge at certain times of the year.
• The Next Right Thing Guided Journal: I find that guided journals work best for me, and this one by Emily P. Freeman is at the heart of my weekly-monthly-quarterly practice. It’s undated so it can be used at any time.
• A Heart on Fire: This is a new guided journal that I recently started, and the prompts are specifically designed to cultivate lives of advocacy and self-compassion. It’s also undated so I can pick it up whenever I want, (I try to do it weekly.) Many of the reflections in this book could be done with friends, family members, or small groups.
• Instagram accounts: Emily P. Freeman (@emilypfreeman), Laura Tremaine (@laura.tremaine), Danielle Coke Balfour (@ohhappydani), and Cole Arthur Riley (@blackliturgies). These four accounts all offer wonderful prompts for reflection.
• Faith 5: I particularly like these resources from Faith Inkubators for encouraging a regular practice of reflection in families and with small groups.

Questions to ask

If all of this still sounds daunting to you (and it’s okay if it does), here are a few simple questions you can use to explore the practice of reflection. You don’t even have to write down answers; just think about them.

1. Where have I seen God today (or this week, or this month, or this year)?
2. What is something that I have learned today (or this week, or this month, or this year)?
3. What am I grateful for right now?
4. What is life-giving, and what is life-draining?

I hope these thoughts and practices guide you into a regular pattern of reflection in the coming year.

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What practices do you use to engage in regular self-reflection?

What patterns or insights have you discovered through these practices?