Happy new year!
Whew, what a year it’s been … but we made it so far, and we are almost across the finish line. Lots of my friends are saying good riddance to 2024. They have lost loved ones, had challenging job situations, worked tirelessly on campaigns only for their candidate to come up short, spent copious amounts of time worried about the future, and have overall felt like this year was a Dumpster fire.
I will admit that this year had several trying moments, but I am also attempting to focus on the more positive aspects of 2024 in that this year, I made time to go birding, I traveled with friends and family, I saw lots of theater and Knicks games, I hosted friends in my home, I published a short book, and I drank lots of champagne just to celebrate being alive.
Each late December, I complete a “Lookback” form that helps jog my memory so I can appreciate all of the highs and lows of the year. It’s a fantastic way to help me remember certain accomplishments or memories I may have forgotten, and it is a truly helpful way for me to plan for the incoming year.
Some of the items on the Lookback form really help ground me. Here are some things to think about as 2025 approaches: Looking back, what are you proud of from 2024? What do you wish you had done differently in 2024? Describe one moment from the past year that characterizes your year. Write a narrative that describes your ideal vision for life in the year 2025: What action steps will help turn your vision into reality?
I have been answering these questions each year for well over a decade and it has been so helpful as I reflect on challenging work situations or transitions in my personal life. As a professor, one of the things I enjoy most about completing the form is giving myself a grade for the following items, providing evidence why, and writing down what I will do to move forward — either to stay the course or make changes. The categories where I evaluate myself and my life are Work Life, Free Time, Humble Abode, Friendships, Romantic Interactions, Familial Interactions, Health and Wellness, State of Mind, Impact on Society, Cultural Experiences, and Creativity.
Some of my friends find this reflection too daunting and overwhelming. However, others have found it to be a nice reminder of the things we have accomplished and the areas where we can possibly make some adjustments. I hope you will find some quiet moments at the close of 2024 to think about your vision for 2025. We have a strong hand in creating the life and the world we would like to see, brick by brick.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of the books “How to Build a Democracy: From Fannie Lou Hamer and Barbara Jordan to Stacey Abrams” and “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”; and co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC.
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