2 free workbooks for year-end reflections
Welcome, Dead Week, the ideal time for resting and reflecting
Hello, dear friends! Here we are in “Dead Week,” the term coined by Helena Fitzgerald in her essay All Hail Dead Week, the Best Week of the Year (The Atlantic) to name “this weird little stretch of unmarked time” between Christmas and New Year’s.
Helena writes:
“For many of us, this is the only time of year when it feels possible, and even encouraged, to do nothing. I look forward to it all year long.”
YES. I love this week, too. The build-up of the holidays is over; the presents unwrapped; the big meal devoured. What is left is time with visiting family, new books to curl up with, and time. When I was working at a newspaper, this was a quiet week full of baked goods and “best of” lists and very little actual news.
Dead Week is also perched on the cusp of a fresh new year, a built-in time for reflection, another of my favorite things.
If you are thinking of reflecting on something as large as an entire year, it can help to have a guide.
Here are two workbooks for reflection, both free downloadable PDFs.
YearCompass — My poet friend Rebecca clued me into this guidebook, which walks you through 2023 in a long and delightful set of prompts, and then dives into planning 2024. One page, for example, is titled “Six Sentences About My Past Year” and has you fill in the blanks: “The wisest decision I made ….” and “The most important thing I did for others ….” Download the YearCompass guide.
Unravel Your Year workbook by Susannah Conway — For the past 14 years, Susannah has offered her free workbook to say goodbye to this year and welcome the next year. Her prompts are a bit more whimsical, like “If the events of 2023 were made into a film or a book, what would it be called?” and “When did you stand up for yourself in 2023? (And when didn’t you?)” Susannah also shares her Find Your Word workbook, on how to pick one word for the year ahead. Download the Unravel Your Year workbook.
I’ve been thinking these days about how to build in time to reflect. I’m haphazard at best at note-taking and Morning Pages, but I’d like to be more consistent.
Reflecting helps seal in the memories and excavate the lessons.
We learn by reflecting. We savor by reflecting.
Do you have a routine for reflection, year-end or daily?
I hope you have a relaxing last spell of 2023. Thanks for being here.
To our journeys,
Brianne
p.s. Winter Art Camp starts Jan. 2 — in less than a week! Pick your option, from doing it solo (free!) to a no-Zoom version to the full experience of virtual Studio Sessions and the community portal. If you are wanting your 2024 to be more creative, come join in! Hope to see many of you there. 💙