A guide to reflecting on 2022 and setting intentions for 2023

Reflecting on 2022 and setting intentions for 2023 is a great way to appreciate where you’ve been and set the direction for where you’re headed. It can help you acknowledge progress and cultivate gratitude but also understand what parts of your life you need a shift in. And it is a perfect practice to give yourself time and space to take a journey inwards and plan for how you can design your life to be the best version for you. We’ve created a step-by-step guide with journal prompts. 

See this practice as a form of a ritual, a sacred practice. So maybe you begin by cleansing out the space with crystals or palo santo, or you can sit in meditation for a few minutes. Do something that feels grounding and sets you in the right headspace. 

2. Reflect on 2022 

As 2022 comes to an end it’s a perfect time to summarize and reflect upon the past year. It can help you learn what you found most and least joy in, find peace with where you’re at and serve as a guideline for your path ahead. It’s also an opportunity to celebrate your wins from the year. Bring out your notebook, find a clean page and start writing – as much or as little as you want. 

• Begin by making a rough timeline of the months from the past year, then write one or a few words to describe the most significant or memorable part of that month. It can be something that happened or something you spent the most time doing. This is a good exercise to help you remember the year. 
• Continue by writing freely about 2022, what are your thoughts about the year?

Then begin journaling on the below questions. A few categories you can use as help when answering the questions are: physical and mental health – career – relationships – personal growth and spirituality. This doesn’t mean that you need to include all, but the ones that seem appropriate for each question. 

• What made me the most happy this year? 
• What was my biggest achievement? 
• What gave me energy?
• What drained me?
• What made me sad this year?
• Who have been my biggest supporters throughout the year?
• What has been a hard lesson this year? 
• What new habits have I created this year? 
• How have I lived according to my core values?
• What is something that has happened this year that I’d like to leave behind?
• What is something that has happened this year that I’d like to bring with me into the new year?

By understanding what we wish to take with us from the past year and what we wish to change, we can set the path forward. Begin by reflecting on the questions below. Again, remember the areas physical and mental health – career – relationships – personal growth and spirituality. 

• What are the three most important things or areas of my life that I want to focus on in 2023?
• What do I want to do more of?
• What do I want to do less of? 
• How do I want to feel? 
• Who do I want to spend more time with?
• How can I live more true to my core values? 
• What new habits do I want to create?
• What is my guiding word or sentence for 2023? 

4. Set intentions for 2023

Once you have reflected, it’s time to set intentions. Make sure they are written in a clear and precise way, in present form. For instance:

• I meditate every morning for a minimum of five minutes
• I don’t look at my phone for an hour before bed time and within the first hour of when I wake up
• I spend at least two hours each week doing something creative 

If you want to take it one step further you can write the different actions you will take in order to make the intentions reality. Be sure to read your intentions regularly. 

Have a rewarding introspective time!

By: Nicky Rosenberg
Photo: Pexels