My first blog post was published one year ago today. This is a great time to reflect on the year and prepare for next year. If you want to join me, here are some guidelines:

• Identify three or more things for which you’re grateful
• Identify three or more amazing things that happened
• Identify something that could have been better

I took this idea from the The Five Minute Journal (FMJ). I previously used the FMJ as part of a daily journaling practice and it worked really well for me. (I am not compensated for my recommendation or any purchase you make.) Of course, no need to buy anything. You could use part or all of this process in any journal.

Things for which I’m grateful:

• Trish, Roli and I have a beautiful home in an area that is even better for us than we expected. I’m grateful that our friend Jay suggested we consider the Conway area when we planned our move back from the UK.
• We’re healthy and live very active lives. I’m grateful that Discover Health Functional Medicine Center and Swift River CrossFit have helped us achieve this. Being part of these communities makes us feel at home.
• My chronic inflexibility led me to become a client of Applied Movement Neurology (AMN). I’m grateful that the results were so impactful that I was inspired to become a practitioner. AMN has changed my life more than I could have imagined.
• Reconnecting with friends and family in the US and staying connected to old and new friends around the world.

Amazing things that happened:

• I published a blog post almost every day for a year! (I took a couple of weeks off from writing around a training trip to Indonesia.) Writing the blog had an amazing effect on my mental health. I hadn’t realized how many things I was holding onto that no longer serve me.
• Trish and I delivered nearly 30 movement classes and saw incredible improvements in many people.
• After a lifetime of thinking about it, I bought a guitar and learned some basics. I’m not going on tour anytime soon, but it’s been fun to do something I always dreamed about.
• I saw snapping turtles hatch and make their way to the lake for the first time.

Something that could have been even better:

I could have been more consistent in my own training. Too often I prioritized other things and my fitness has suffered a bit. (This list is intentionally shorter than the other lists. Aim for three or more positive items for each constructive item.)

What can you learn by reflecting on your year?