Today is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. I am starting the Jewish year 5785 with a heavy heart. How can we start a new year when still suffering from the devastating loss of the past year? How can we move forward when we are still at war, and there are still innocent civilians held hostages?
As we start the new Jewish year, and the last quarter of 2024, I am finding myself contemplating new beginnings and resilience. It seems the two are closely related. New beginnings can be challenging and might require that we call upon resilience, and especially in difficult times, when the situation is acute and the useful resources are limited.
It is no small thing to be Jewish, a descendant of the biblical patriarch Jacob. I feel I carry within me the hopes and dreams of many generations of my ancestors, and I bear the responsibility for future generations, not yet born. Belonging to an ethic group that is around 2% of the world’s population, and rapidly declining, means having a personal stake in preserving the cultural heritage of my people.
The past year has been a difficult time for Jews throughout the world. Israel suffered unprecedented vicious attack by Hamas terrorists, and the Jewish people have been targeted by a campaign of vilification in the media and cancel culture inciting a wave of antisemitism sweeping through the world. Now more than ever, we need resilience, for ourselves, for our families, for the State of Israel, and for the world.
Never again is now. What we are witnessing is not merely Israel’s war. It’s a war on global terrorism led by Iran & its proxies. It’s a war we haven’t chosen but must fight for the sake of peace and humanity. There is no hope for peace until the global war on terrorism is won. And until then, we must maintain psychological well-being in the face of devastation and destruction and continue to work for the betterment of ourselves and the world.
I wish for the past year’s hardships and sorrows to end and for a new year to begin with its blessings. I hope that world leaders will make wise choices and start forging a positive path forward for world peace. But even as world leaders fail to do so, I know I am not exempt and must build resilience to keep working for Tikun Olam, mending the world.
I am starting the new Jewish year, and Q4, deep in though and soulful reflections on the past year and the lessons learned. I am carefully examining my choices and actions, my successes and setbacks. I focus my attention on identifying what went well and the things I need to address to make the world a better place. This practice is also relevant and applicable to those who seek continuous learning and personal growth. This can be done monthly, quarterly, and annually.
My reflection, in its simple form requires making 3 lists:
In the past month/quarter/year:
Three things done well.
Three things to be grateful for.
Three areas of improvement.
To help outline the choices made, actions taken, and the gaps, continue by asking the following 10 questions:
How would you sum up your month/quarter/year in one word? In one sentence?
Looking back at the goals I set, which did I achieve? Which fell short?
What are the top 3 things I am most proud of?
What do I regret doing, or not doing?
Did I live true to myself? Where did I miss the mark?
What did I struggle with? What were some effective strategies I applied?
What is a good habit that I am working to build?
What was the best investment of my time?
What mistakes did I make? What are the lessons learned?
What do I need to stop/start/continue doing to maintain well-being AND continue to grow?
Write down your answers to gain insights that would motivate you to action.
End with an action plan following this 5-step process:
Define your Target, your desired outcomes.
Translate your Target into goals.
Break your goals into milestones.
Build a roadmap for success listing steps, tasks, and timelines.
Create a resource list of strategies, ideas, solutions, people, etc.
This process is simple, but that doesn’t mean it will be easy. You’d need to develop consistent motivation, focus, and commitment to achieve your goals, your desired outcomes. Dedicate your time, energy and effort mindfully to the things that matter the most to you along the path to a better future and a better version of yourself. The commitment asked of you is not to seek perfection but rater to just take steps, however tiny, towards resilience, well-being, and self-growth.
Wishing everyone, whether observing Rosh Hashana or not, a life filled with tranquility, meaning, fulfillment and joy. May we all have the courage and stamina to continue on our personal journey toward being the best that we can be as individuals and as a community!
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