A Step-by-Step Guide
Before setting goals for the year ahead, it’s important to pause and look back. Reflecting on your last year helps you gain perspective, understand what truly matters to you, and set goals that are more authentic and meaningful.
Use this guide at your own pace. You can answer one question, a few, or all of them.
Imagine watching your year as a movie rather than living it as the main character.
Describe the plot of the year
Who were the main characters (including yourself)?
What challenges, turning points, or themes showed up?
How did others experience the year from their point of view?
Purpose:
This exercise helps you gain a “meta view” of your life. By observing instead of judging, you may notice resilience, growth, or patterns you hadn’t seen before.
Take time to recognize:
What went well
What you created
How you grew
Pause and savor these moments rather than rushing through them.
Purpose:
Gratitude clarifies what matters most to you and provides a strong foundation for setting meaningful goals.
Reflect honestly on:
What was hard
What didn’t meet your expectations
What emotions come up as you revisit these moments
Be compassionate with yourself as you notice frustration, sadness, anger, or disappointment.
Purpose:
Processing emotion—rather than avoiding it—creates insight, growth, and emotional clarity.
Recall moments that truly mattered:
Times of connection
Pride
Presence
Fulfillment
Purpose:
Meaningful moments point directly to what deserves more of your time and energy going forward.
Look at your year honestly:
What consumed most of your attention?
Did your energy align with what matters to you?
Where were you distracted?
Reflection:
Decide what you want to spend more energy on next year—and what you want less of.
Acknowledge mistakes without letting them define you.
Ask yourself:
Did I do my best given what I knew at the time?
What did this experience teach me?
Purpose:
Compassionate reflection builds resilience, openness to feedback, and self-acceptance.
Then dig deeper:
Why this number?
What habits or choices contributed to it?
What patterns do you notice?
Purpose:
This step reveals unconscious habits and helps you decide what to let go of in the year ahead.
Take stock of:
Your skills
Strengths
Natural abilities
Purpose:
This question helps you intentionally choose where to invest your energy so it serves what matters most.
Identify:
Where you’ve been playing it safe
Where growth feels uncomfortable but exciting
Purpose:
Growth happens outside your comfort zone. This step invites you to “find brave.”
Consider key areas of your life:
Career or work
Relationships
Health & well-being
Personal growth
Create a clear, realistic vision—and prioritize what truly matters.
Use these if you want to go further:
Where specifically am I stuck?
What milestone event shaped who I am today?
What keeps me awake at night?
What does success truly mean to me?
What do I value most?
If nothing were off limits, what would I do with my life?
What does my perfect day look like?
What goal am I afraid to set—and why?
What did I learn from my biggest mistake?
What am I afraid I’ll never get around to doing?
You don’t need to answer everything at once. Even one honest question can create clarity and momentum.
Reflection isn’t about judging the past — it’s about understanding it so you can move forward with intention.