At the end of each year, I love to sit down and reflect, plan, and organize my thoughts. Life is so busy for all of us, and I’ve found that if I don’t make a point to sit down and think about all that happened in the past year, it easily gets forgotten or buried under the day to day chaos.
Reflecting on all that happened in the previous 12 months (both good and bad) is a great place to start as you begin thinking about the next year ahead. Doing so will help you better understand the person you are at the end of this year and how that person wants to show up going forward. Below are some journal prompts that I have found very helpful as I start to reflect and set intentions for the year to come.
Tip: Don’t just put these in your phone! The act of writing them down on a piece of paper is really therapeutic and important.
- What have I accomplished in the past year that makes me proud?
- What were some things that I didn’t get accomplished but would like to focus on more in the next year?
- What characteristics do I want to bring with me into the next year?
- What characteristics do I want to leave behind?
- What habits have I created (or continued) that have been helpful over the past year?
- What habits have I created (or continued) that need to be reevaluated for the coming year?
- Who will I be at the end of 2025?
Write these questions out in a journal and take some time to really think about your answers before you write them down. At the end of each month, open the journal and hold yourself accountable. It’s a lot easier to reflect on the previous 30 days and realize that you needed a reminder of the year you envisioned and the steps it would take to get there than it is to realize that after 365 days.
It’s okay to need a reminder. It’s okay to have a month that didn’t go quite as you planned. You have the power to create the year you want – now go make it happen!
