I don’t know where you are in your academic year, but where I work, today marks the 2 week count down of classes. We literally have 11 days left of classes.
You may have begun to notice that the older you get, the quicker it seems a year flies by. In my experience, this doesn’t stop. Each year seems crazier, busier, and faster. For this reason, I am big on reflection. I think it’s incredibly valuable to stop, consider the year you’ve just lived, and share some of your insights with friends and family. We are constantly learning, changing, and growing but we need to carve out time to reflect and be more self-aware of those changes and growth.
So, as your classes begin to wind down and before you’re in the throws of finals (because I know how one-track minded you’ll get then), here are some questions I urge you to really consider. Share some of your answers with your parents. Share it with your roommates. Or go out to dinner with your closest girlfriends and have everyone answer these questions. Just SHARE it with some people you like and trust. And, ask other people these same questions!
1. What is one thing I have learned about myself this year?
2. What is one thing I have learned about getting along (or working with) others this year?
3. What is one thing I have learned about God this year? Or that He has taught me this year?
4. Who has been the most influential on my life this year? (this could be positive or negative)
5. Who has been incredibly encouraging to me this year?*
*Side note: I know I’m old school, but if someone has been particularly encouraging to you this year, go to Target, buy a real made-with-paper-from-a-tree card, and write a note to that person. Find a stamp (I hear they still sell them at the post office or grocery store) and MAIL a note to that friend saying how thankful you are for them.6. If I could time travel back to August of 2011 and give myself some advice, what would I have told myself?
7. What is one situation that seemed overwhelming or incredibly stressful this year? How does it seem now?
8. Ask a close friend, “what is one way you’ve seen me change or grow this year?”
9. What is one of your favorite memories from this year?
10. What has been one of the greatest surprises of this year?
11. Describe this year in 3 words.
So, print off these questions or screen shot it on your phone. Whatever you need to do to keep these on you and really think through them. And to repeat myself, then share them and ask others about their own answers. If you feel so inclined, I would love to know some of your answers too! Leave a comment on the side (top left) or email me.
