It’s hard to get a sense of progress when we’re just trying to hang on day to day. Taking a step back and analyzing our lives is virtually impossible when we’re in the throes of it. I like to take a single data point and compare where things are every year on that day.

For a few years now, my birthday has been that data point. I have had the luxury for most of my adult life to not work on my birthday. It’s a priority for me and I have made plenty of other sacrifices to account for that one thing. I take the day and treat myself and contemplate where I was the year before on that day. I think about all the changes the year has brought and what I hope for the year ahead.

I know a lot of people do this on New Year’s Eve. I have never been one for resolutions. I think there’s too much pressure associated with them. I do, however, think reflection and intention are very valuable components to a healthy life. Spending the last night of the year reflecting on the year that is ending and focusing on a priority or two for the year to come has helped me grow tremendously in years gone by.

It is so hard to really see ourselves and our lives from an objective vantage. We have so many inner thoughts and vulnerabilities that cloud that opinion, I think it’s incredibly useful to use one particular point in time and reflect on that same day over the years.

Comparing your best moment from one year to your worst from the next is not a fair accounting. Choosing to compare the same day from one year to the next – whether it’s your best or worst – can help keep it honest. There have been times when my birthday was the best day of the whole year. And times when it was the worst. But having a specific date in mind to sit back and review how things have evolved is one of my favorite things. It’s like spending time with friends from your childhood and going through all the silly and ridiculous things you have shared. Looking back on your year – the good and the bad – and recognizing that in the grand scheme of things it’s just another small ring on the tree can be really helpful. If you love where you are, take steps to preserve the things that are going great. If you hate what’s going on at the moment, make a plan to move in a positive direction.

The reality is that sitting back and taking stock is the beginning of all the best things in your life. Perspective helps you recognize that nothing is forever – good or bad – and figuring out how to move in the directions you want is the key to success.

So take a minute, in these cozy winter days, to sit and reflect on how things are actually going. Take a step back. Separate fact from emotion. Consider where you are in reality and where you want to go.