I have just been outside in the rain watching a rainbow. It was a full rainbow stretching across the bog in a glorious arc over the cottage. I never cease to be excited about seeing one, even though there are often days when we can see three or four. I found myself reflecting on the fact that it is often the simplest things that give us the greatest pleasure, a ray of sunshine, the reflection of the mountains in a lake, the light from the rainbow across the bog. 

As 2022 draws to a close I find myself in a pensive mood. I always like to reflect on the year, and I tend to do it before the inevitable Christmas rush begins. For me it’s a kind of mental decluttering. The aim is to clear space in my head so that I can plan for the coming year. I take a moment to look at what I set out to achieve during the last year and ask myself if I did so. The next step is to ask myself about what worked well and what didn’t, and I consider what I might do differently next time. 

This can sound a bit like a tick box, but it does give me a framework for reflection. And it enables me to then move on to the important bit, which is, what have I learned from my experiences throughout the year? Without the learning there is no growth, and I could be in danger of repeating the same things next year, mistakes and all. By reflecting I aim to only take forward what is going to be of benefit to me. This is not always easy and sometimes I do find that I need to coach myself to let go of the stuff and take just the learning forward.

However, I do recognise the value in doing this. My thoughts are clearer, and my mind is calmer. I feel restored and reinvigorated for the year ahead and all the wonderful opportunities that it will bring.