If you’re like most people, you may be about to make some New Year’s Resolutions. And, year after year, you may rush into and list all the things you’d like to change.
But, you may find it easier to really be grateful for the past year, and learn from it, if you create a written time capsule of it before heading into 2020. This is not a time capsule of current events, but of personal ones.
A time capsule captured by 40 questions reflecting on your 2019 thoughts, emotions, accomplishments, and life.
It’s not quite as in-depth a reflection activity as this post on Positive Reflection. It’s a bit more light-hearted and fun. It’s a personal, written, time-capsule you can create each year.
Write a Personal Time Capsule for 2019 before Heading into 2020
Why document your years?
Did you know that journaling and documentation are therapy? Whether you are documenting light-hearted facts and memories, or really digging into your feelings and thoughts, journaling helps you process and overcome trauma, or increase gratitude for good events.
In 2018, researchers found that positive reflection and journaling reduces mental distress, increases well-being, and enhances physical functioning (1).
In fact, did you know that even physical impairments such as wound heal faster when you journal? Studies have found that patients instructed to write about perceived and emotional distress, loneliness, self-esteem, social support, dispositional optimism, and health-related behaviors wounds healed quicker and were smaller than those who did after 14 and 21 days.
How can this be?
Psychological trauma downregulates the immune system and acts as a barrier to healing, both physically and emotionally (2).
There’s a lot of power in writing and journaling.
So, print this out, grab a pen, and get writing. This light-hearted activity is a great way to end 2019 and look forward to 2020.
40 Questions for a Personal Time Capsule for 2019
Looking Back: A Written Time-Capsule of 2019
- What are you most proud of, an event, attitude, etc in 2019?
- What is one event (it can be big or small) that you’ll tell your grandchildren about in upcoming years?
- What is something new you discovered about yourself?
- What was the best news you received and where were you when you received it?
- What was your favorite place(s) that you visited in 2019?
- Which of your personal qualities turned out to be the most helpful this year?
- Who was your most reliable friend or family member that you could always rely on?
- Which new skills did you learn?
- What, or who, are you most thankful for?
- What was the most important lesson you learned in 2019?
- Did you overcome any mental blocks holding you back? If so, which were they?
- What 3-5 people did you enjoy spending time with the most?
- Did you experience any break-through moments career-wise? If so, what were they?
- How did your relationship with your family change or evolve?
- What book or movie had the greatest impact on you?
- What little or even mundane things did you most enjoy during your day-to-day life?
- What did you build, make, or create in 2019 that you are proud of?
- Was there anything you did for the very first time in your life this year?
- Which worries turned out to be completely unnecessary and unfounded?
- What experience would you love to do all over again?
- What was the best gift you received?
- How did your overall outlook on life change or evolve?
- What was the biggest problem you solved?
- What was the funniest moment of your year, one that still makes it hard not to burst out laughing when you think about it?
- What one thing would you do differently and why?
- What advice would you give your early-2019 self if you could?
- What or who had the biggest positive impact on your life this year?
- What is the best picture or video you took?
- What was the most difficult part of 2019?
- How did you overcome the difficulty?
Looking Ahead: 2020
- What major goal did you lay the foundations for?
- What do you want the overarching theme for your 2015 to be?
- What do you want to see, discover, explore?
- Who do you want to spend more time with during 2019?
- What skills do you want to learn, improve or master?
- Which personal quality do you want to develop or strengthen?
- Which habits do you want to change, cultivate or get rid of?
- What do you want to achieve career-wise?
- What is something you want to do more of alone? Read, travel, walk, etc?
- What is your number one goal for 2019?
