How have you grown as a person in the past year?

As this year ends, a good practice is to reflect on all you did during this time.

This review will allow you to determine how much you have grown as a person in the last year. You will be able to identify your strengths and areas for improvement.  And generate a plan with specific steps to keep moving forward next year.

Here you will find the best practices to do this reflection successfully.

What does it mean to grow as a person?

This question has many answers, as it depends on your goals, intentions, values, and even the circumstances in which you live.

But, in general terms, it means leaving behind fears and obstacles to develop beyond the person you have always been.

It is to understand your feelings and those of others, be open to new experiences and understand that difficult situations are learning experiences.

It means creating your life around the person you’ve always wanted to be.

How do you know how much you have grown as a person?

A simple way to know how much you have grown as a person in the last year is through reflection.

This practice will allow you to review every aspect of your life and think about what you can change, improve or continue doing.

The spiritual coach Joselito Laudencia mentions two ways to reflect: “One way is to do a chronological review, and another way to reflect this year is to examine the different areas of your life”

Both ways are effective, but in this post, you will find more detail about reflection by areas of your life.

If you have not done it before, the following questions will help make this process easier.

Questions to ask yourself to reflect on this year:

Take 30 minutes to an hour to do this exercise. Write your answers on a piece of paper or think about them. Here are some basic ideas to get you started, but you can add as many questions as you want.

Health & Wellness

1. What excited you this year?
2. How are you taking care of your body and mind?
3. Do you know what affects the health of your body and mind?
4. What things can you do better in this aspect of your life?

Hobbies/intellectual

1. Did you learn a new skill? explain it
2. What new hobby did you take up this year?
3. What things would you have liked to do, but didn’t?
4. What skills would you like to learn next?

Career/Business

1. What challenges did you overcome this year?
2. What things did you do to get closer to your goals?
3. Do you like what you do every day at work?
4. What things would you change about your job?

Relationship

1. Did you make new deep connections this year?
2. What situations or people brought you peace?
3. How did you manage your relationships?
4. Is there anything you can do better in this aspect of your life?

Finance

1. How did you manage your finances?
2. Did you make a budget and stick to it?
3. Are you comfortable with your income and savings?
4. What things can you change in this aspect of your life?

Community

1. What things do you do that inspire others?
2. In what way have you helped others?
3. Do you feel part of a community?
4. What opportunities do you have to get closer to your community?

Ways to grow as a person

After reflecting on the questions above, it’s natural to feel like there are things you can do to improve next year.

There are many ways to grow as a person, and here are some examples you can use.

• Try new hobbies.
• Know your values.
• Take care of your mind and your body.
• Stay away from things that distract you.
• Challenge yourself to spend time alone.
• Look for lessons in bad and good situations.

Signs that you have grown as a person

Growing as a person sounds like something we should all do, but sometimes it happens so fast that it’s hard to see.

Here are some signs that you’re growing as a person, in case you haven’t noticed.

• You see life from the big picture.
• You are okay with asking for help.
• You focus on the value of things.
• You have no problem showing vulnerability.
• You are more self-aware and in tune with your senses.
• You don’t expect others to do what you would do in a situation.
• You are okay with uncomfortable situations (having difficult conversations and saying “no”).

If you recognize some of these things, you’re doing a great job of improving yourself. If you didn’t see any of these signs, that’s also great because it means you have room to grow.

Conclusion 

If you’ve ever wondered how much you’ve grown as a person in the past year, you’re not alone.

People use the last months of the year to reflect on everything they have done and think about how they can improve.

Use the questions above to know more about yourself and understand what steps you need to take to improve next year.

Becoming the person you want to be, comes with challenges. But it is in those difficult situations that you find growth. If you feel like everything is going wrong, that’s great. It means you’re trying. Mistakes and failure are necessary for personal development. Without them, you wouldn’t challenge yourself to be better.

This process requires patience, and you may want to ask an accredited therapist or trainer for help to steer you in the right direction.