For many of us, as the year draws to a close, this is a time for reflection. If you are like me, you may be looking back at the past year. What did I try to do last year but didn’t quite reach the mark? Where did I succeed? Or where did I fail?

But is this really the best use of our reflective thoughts?

Sometimes I think we place too much importance on “accomplishments” and “failures.”

There are other ways to self-reflect. One is to think more about the efforts we’ve made. Things don’t always move as quickly as we’d like. But any time we put energy into something, whether that is a relationship, a creative project, a business idea or a community service organization, something reverberates. Positive action does not evaporate into nothingness, even if we don’t immediately see a result.

Pay more attention to the effort rather than the result. Our job is to keep on moving in a positive direction, not monitor our external progress.

Secondly, what has our interior progress been? Have we let small setbacks upset us? Or have we developed more fortitude this year. Have we managed our fears in a more constructive way?

These kinds of progress cannot always be seen, but they can be felt. And the stronger, calmer, and more accepting we become, the outer circumstances of our lives will eventually also change in a more beneficial manner.

As we move into the new year, my hope is that all of you only look back to see how far you’ve come. Looking forward, think only of what your best intentions are.

Best wishes for a peaceful holiday season, and a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year!