This article is written by Karissa Tunis For more on this topic, check out the full New Year New Goals collection

Ringing in the New Year is always exciting! It often feels like a new beginning filled with lots of potential and endless opportunities! And if your previous year wasn't your best one yet, it's relieving to close that chapter and start a new one.

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And, if you are like most Americans, then you also might be trying to come up with one (or even a few) New Year's Resolutions to help improve yourself, or your situation, in one way or another.

But before you do that, I'd like to purpose a challenge. While it is often preferred to just look ahead with promising hopes and dreams, I think it is also important to take a look back. Even if it is a bit ugly, I think we can learn a lot from the past, and use it to better prepare for our future.

So, before you start making your resolutions, I'd encourage you to take a moment and reflect back on your year:

For more on this topic, check out the full New Year New Goals collection