The conscious living practice series ended half a year ago. Somehow, it did not resonate with my readers or me as much as I had hoped. But, as the year comes to an end, I find myself looking for my own year-end practice again. So I thought I'd resend it to you, long-time readers, or share it with the new ones. I hope it helps you end the year more consciously.
This will be my last post of the year. Until next year, with my bimonthly letter, I wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
How many of you have a long list of reflections and gratitudes by now?
Maybe you’re like me—still working on it—and that’s completely okay! What matters is that we’ve been more mindful over the past two weeks and taken small steps toward reflection.
Life tends to get busy these weeks as the festive season approaches. Decorate the Advent Kranz, get mini gifts, and hang up the Advent calendar. Decide on gifts and who will receive them. Make and send Christmas cards. Bake Christmas cookies.
Our family also has three birthdays to celebrate around this time! Yes, that's the story of our lives. One birthday celebration down, we have three more parties to go: one for each child with their friends, and one with the family.
Amidst all this busyness, I’ve found that taking even a few moments to reflect on the past year can bring clarity and calm.
Pre-Practice
If you have your reflection list, skip this pre-step and go straight to the practice.
For those who want to gather reflections quickly, find an uninterrupted time for reflection, and focus only on this year. This keeps the task manageable.
Set a due date—perhaps this weekend or by Christmas—to complete your reflection session
Use a 30-minute timer and start looking through your chosen resources (calendar, photos, journals, notebooks, planners) for reflections, and write down any points that you deem noteworthy.
This is what I did to assemble a list quickly.
Since I plan everything in my life on the calendar, it is a good way to recall what I've done and see all the meaningful events. For some of you, it may be your planner or to-do list.
At the same time, as I reviewed each month, I looked through my photo album to recall events I might have missed!
To give you an idea, here’s what my list looked like after following this process:
Celebrated my kid’s birthday with Oma and Opa.
Started 1-1 dates with my kids.
Consistent lunch dates with my partner during the week.
I launched this Conscious Living Substack and wrote a lot this year, reconnecting with my passion, connecting with myself, and processing it all through writing.
We went on a boat trip down the Neckar Valley with Oma, Opa, aunts, uncles, and cousins. All the kids were very excited but surprisingly well-behaved.
Lots of spring and autumn walks and hikes.
Friendship reunion trip in Bali!
Spent precious time with the old loved ones— Mummy, Lai Ma, and Lai Pa. We did some deep talking with the Parents Are Humans cards.
Family beach holiday in Majorca.
Built tanglungs (lanterns) with the kids together and did a walk during the Mid-Autumn festival1.
Monthly catch-up calls with my girls–an initiative born from our reunion trip.
I made lovely connections here on Substack.
I did the writing protocol to deal with my grief over my father’s death.
Writing about conscious living brought back this core meaning of my life to the forefront.
I attended several training sessions at work, which rekindled my passion for learning.
Here’s what we are going to do
For Conscious Living practice #2, you should have a list of reflections and gratitude to reflect on.
For beginners
Find a cozy spot with a warm drink and sit down with your notebook or laptop. Read through your reflection lists without judgment. Just read it for what it is.
Next, choose your top 5 to 10 entries—they resonate deeply, repeat themselves across the list, or stand out to you. Circle or summarize them in a shorter list.
Like me, I noticed I had listed several events and celebrations with Oma and Opa, and I had mentioned my gratitude to them on multiple occasions. I mentioned all the 1-1 connections in my little family, with kids and my partner. I was thankful for my summer trip back home, reconnecting with my friends on our Bali trip, and afterward, my mother, nanny, and her husband in my hometown. I am also grateful for the new connections I made here on Substack. Thanks to my Conscious Living publication on Substack, I was proud and happy to start writing again. I felt reconnected to myself, especially in my pursuit of conscious living.
In your top list, go through it again and try to find a pattern. Here are some questions that may help you:
What motivates you?
Does this reflect a value you cherish?
What do you want more or less of?
Who matters most to you, and how are you nurturing those relationships?
What’s most important to you, and how are you prioritizing it?
What sparks your curiosity?
What’s one goal you’d like to pursue?
“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.” - Goethe.
For seasoned practitioners
Like the last round, I have an option for some of you who are used to this exercise. After you have answered the prompts, try distilling your answers into a word or a short phrase. This will be your “word of the year.”
For example, Gretchen Rubin reflects on why she chose “Door” as her word of the year. For her, it was a time of transition and expectation. To me, it is also a beautiful visual metaphor for opening up new opportunities and adventures.
Your word might be a noun, a verb, or an adjective. There’s no wrong way to pick as long as it’s meaningful to you. - Gretchen Rubin
As for me, the pattern became clear on what my word of the year would be—Connection.
I want to deepen my connections with my partner, children, family, friends, and myself. I also want to extend my connection to nature and the world at large.
This word also aligns well with my ethos of conscious living. To connect, we need to be present, and being connected helps us stay grounded in that state, too.
If you enjoyed this nudge towards a more conscious and mindful living, consider subscribing or upgrading to support!
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a harvest festival celebrated in Chinese culture. It is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar with a full moon at night. On this day, the Chinese believe that the moon is at its brightest and fullest size, coinciding with harvest time in the middle of autumn. [1]
Connection is such a powerful word.