What Punctuation Will You Put on This Year?

I don’t know about you, but this year flew by. I feel like I looked up after summer and it was Thanksgiving, and now here we are at year’s end. As the sun sets on the end of this year — and if you haven’t taken the time to go look at our winter sunsets, add that to your list of things to do! — it’s time to not just put a period on the experience, but to also add a question mark and an exclamation point! 

Reflecting on the ups and downs that have come our way is a natural process and a fantastic growth opportunity. I’m not a natural reflector, as I’m more of a move-forward kind of girl, but I do find the process of reflecting on the past year interesting and revealing as we get near the end. It’s nice to know that I am not alone in my resistance to reflection. Jay Shetty, author of Think Like a Monk spoke in his podcast about a recent study where people were given the choice of 15 minutes of reflection or an electric shock, and 60 percent of men and 25 percent of women chose the electric shock. Let’s be brave and reflect on the year!

The Question Mark?

Let’s all start with curiosity and ask ourselves: What have we learned this year? Maybe a new hobby (I took up pickleball!), or how to cook something new or play an instrument. Maybe you figured out how to stop doing some things that weren’t working for you. We could all use a start-doing and stop-doing list.

The Exclamation Point!

Time to celebrate! All of us have things to be grateful for. Some of us may have to dig deeper than others, but I truly believe that if we focus on what’s right in the world, we will get more of that, and research proves it to be true. In the book Gratitude Works! by Robert Emmons, “People are 25 percent happier if they keep gratitude journals and sleep just 30 minutes longer each evening and exercise 33 percent more each week.” Dig in and figure out what you are grateful for, and then repeat that every week. Be grateful for the lessons, the laughter, the tears, and the growth. The experiences of the past have sculpted a more nuanced, resilient, and compassionate version of oneself.

The Period.

A period, also known as a full stop, indicates that a sentence is complete. Earlier this year, I started following Emily Freeman, the Soul Minimalist, who has a practice of reflecting every 90 days on lessons learned. Her blog is filled with entries of what she learned this spring, fall, and winter for years and years. My biggest takeaway — life is filled with moments that when truly reflected on offer us insight and knowledge.

Life can be filled with regret — but that’s about the past. It can be filled with anxiety — but that’s about the future. Or it can be filled with gifts when we stay in the present and reflect on the here and now. Of course, in the moments of challenge, the true colors of character emerge, and the depth of one’s spirit is revealed. But if we add a C to “reactive” we can be Creative, and realize that with every Change, there is a Chance (Just change the “g” to a “c”)!

So, as we turn to the final page of this chapter, let gratitude be the ink that shapes the memories. May the echoes of its lessons reverberate in the soul, and may the next chapter unfold with the grace of a well-told story. Here’s to the journey — the highs, the lows, and the beautiful mess that is life. Cheers to embracing the punctuation, for every period, question mark, and exclamation point is a prelude to a new beginning.

Sara Caputo transforms how individuals, teams, and small businesses navigate workflow and increase workplace efficiency. Her work has been featured in Working Women, Success, and Forbes, as well as other national and regional publications. She can be reached at sara@saracaputoconsulting.com.