Lessons From 2020: A Journaling Practice
Full disclosure: this post was originally meant to be a series of posts, starting on January 7th, 2021. It is not a coincidence that I wrote at the end of December, 2 weeks before the domestic terrorist attack on the US Capitol: We have to process and learn from 2020 before we can move forward to a healthy, purposeful 2021. As a people, we need to address our habits of dehumanizing others, favoring biased sources over factual ones, and acting/speaking before we consider the consequences for ourselves and others. We must move forward in truth and in love. But we can’t do that until we’re honest about our dishonesty, selfishness, and un-love. So the blog series got scratched because, frankly, you don’t need my voice.
We all need to spend time journaling the following questions to find a new way forward.
So I encourage you to light a candle, and get in a space where you can really reflect, remember, and dream. Ideally you’ll answer these questions over a few days, allowing yourself to process in between. This exercise will work best if you are equally honest and gentle with yourself.
Practice this breath prayer before you being:
Breathe in: I am enough and I am still becoming.
Breathe out: Learning and growing is part of the human existence.
07: What lessons did you learn from 2020?
What adjectives do you get to claim this year? (Aka: how would you positively describe yourself in 2020?)
Which of these lessons do you want to take with you going forward?
What would need to change to adopt these as guides for your life?
What did you learn you can live without? What did you miss greatly? Do those answers change your priorities, budget, or expended energy?
14: What habits did you create in 2020?
How did you form them — were they natural results of your circumstances or were they more intentionally created?
What aspects of this year were incredibly difficult?
Where did you find goodness, hope, etc?
Which 2020 habits do you want to keep going forward?
What rhythms do you want to create/break in 21?
21: What passions/ issues of justice pierced your soul?
What opened your eyes and broadened your perspective past what you’ve personally experienced?
What do you want to keep learning about? Where will you further immerse yourself to get a broader understanding of a particular issue?
Where do you start advocating in 21? What skills do you have to offer and where has someone voiced a need for a skill/resource you can provide?
What causes/people groups do you want to support with your finances?
28: How’s your body doing?
What did she accomplish in 2020?
What places did she bring you?
Think back, when was your body strong? When was she just what you needed?
What do you want for her this year?
What kind words will you repeat to her this year? How will you continue to love her? If you’re not in love with your body quite yet, what can you do to healthily repair your relationship?
