Happy End of 2022!

We’ve arrived at the very end of 2022! Just a handful of days to go before we wake up in the new year, which means we’ve come to the end of our December month of reflection.

If you’ve been contemplating along with this month’s blog posts (1, 2, and 3), you have an idea of a few life experiences you’ve had this past year that feel just about wrapped up. Experiences you’re ready to put behind you, whether they were joyful new beginnings or challenging hardships and hard lessons.  

Let’s use a process I learned years ago called “Completion” to help us systematically bring closure to one or more of your 2022 life experiences.

Completion

Completion is a simple but powerful series of questions. I learned this process to be done with a small group of people, with one person asking another the Completion questions in order, with no commentary or responses to the answers. I think it can be done well by yourself, too. Maybe with a pen and paper, or just some time set aside to finish your thoughts.  

The Completion Process

1. What is the experience, project, life lesson, milestone or other item you would like to bring to closure today? 

2. What went well? 

3. What could have gone better? 

4. What would you like to be acknowledged for? 

5. Who would you like to acknowledge? 

6. Anything else? 

When you’ve answered all the question, write or say aloud “I mark this experience as complete.”  

Simple, right?

That’s it. It’s a practice in intentionality, honest reflection, and a declaration of putting it behind you. I’ve experienced a sense of being witnessed, acknowledged, and supported when working through this process verbally with trusted allies, and a sense of space in my mind for new thoughts when I’ve worked through it on my own.  

Try it out with a partner or by yourself. It suspect it will help you lighten your load to begin the new year with more capacity and maybe even a sense of positive anticipation for the fresh and new.  

Using the process anytime

Of course, Completion is a process that can be done at the closure or at a significant milestone of any experience or project in your life. A clear end date or obvious result is a good signal to use these questions. So is a sense that you’ve been spinning your wheels and getting nothing more out of a challenge or your effort. I find the process especially helpful in those more ambiguous circumstances. When no one and nothing is going to signal to me I’m done, these questions help me do it for myself.  

Happy End of 2022! 

Image by Ann H from Pexels