There is power in reflection, and we don’t do it enough. With a culture hyper-focused on productivity and achievement, it can be easy to go from one thing to the next without taking the time to reflect.
As we slowly close the last chapter of 2024, the month of December presents a wonderful opportunity to reflect on everything that made the past year meaningful. I love how the ending of one year and the beginning of another offers a natural opportunity to take some time to consider the bigger picture of your life. For those of us who don’t want to wait until January 1st to make changes, I put together a list of thoughtful end-of-the-year reflection questions that will help you process what has happened in your life over the past 365 days.
I fully believe that the universe has a grand master plan for all of us but oftentimes the direction of life may be uncertain. Having no end-of-the-year reflection practice may put you at risk of repeating the same mistakes, or not recognizing where you could make improvements in your life, or even staying stagnant because you don’t understand the emotions that got you into these bad situations in the first place. On the flip side, this practice is a perfect opportunity to acknowledge the progress you’ve made over the past year in your personal and professional life, and help motivate you to continue to do better.
If you’re self-critical (like me) and if you tend to most easily see and recall what you’re doing wrong in life, this end-of-the-year reflection is an absolute must. Self-critical people often see life through a critical lens, and those little wins may get buried under the weight of everything that’s gone wrong in life.
I want to invite you to a little practice of self-care I do every December. One that will help you reflect on unprocessed feelings and help you identify what it is that you want to feel and experience in 2024. Set aside an hour or two of your day to reflect & absorb the lessons from the past year in order to help you learn what to do (or not do) to be successful in the future.
Let’s enter the new year with a clean slate and a plan of action.
Why should you do a year-end review?
Have you ever wondered if you’ve made the most of your time during the last year? Did you spend your days and weeks the way you wanted to spend them?
Self-reflection is vital if you want to live your life by design. There’s no hiding here. Here are some of the benefits of a year-end-review:
- Recognize your accomplishments and give yourself kudos for what you did well.
- Figure out what gives you joy and what you’re truly passionate about.
- Consider the lessons you’ve learned during times of struggle, as well as the knowledge and skills you acquired.
- Acknowledge your mistakes and missteps.
- Understand in what ways could you spend your money, energy, and time in a way that is more beneficial for your future.
These end-of-year reflection questions are intended to help you form a new vision of where you want to go next in life – and in many cases, it’s tough to know where you’re going until you know where you’ve been!
Sometimes, we have to look back in order to understand things that lie ahead
Yvonne Woon
Disclaimers!
- Some end-of-year reflection questions may take you longer to figure out the answer. And that’s totally ok.
- Whenever and wherever you do this exercise, make sure it’s in an environment where you can be honest and vulnerable.
- Make sure not to judge your answers, or yourself.
Find a quiet place and a notepad, & let’s begin the end-of-year reflection questions that will guide you through your personal growth, career, finance, and more. …
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Personal growth self-reflection questions
- What is the highlight of the past year?
- What are the top 5 happiest experiences from the past year?
- What are the small things that I’ve enjoyed the most in my day-to-day life this year?
- What did I do for the very first time in the past year?
- What is something I did this year that I will remember for the rest of my life?
- What achievement am I most proud of from this year?
- What are the top 5 life lessons? What are the lessons from the top 5 challenges that I faced this year?
- What was my biggest challenge this year? What did I face head-on rather than avoiding?
- Did I step outside of my comfort zone this year? How did it affect my life?
- In which situations did I say no to something when I really should have said yes? vice versa?
- What was a new habit or routine I created this year that has made me more efficient at home or work? How has it influenced my life? Am I still maintaining the habit?
- What is one bad habit I quit this year? How did quitting this habit change my life?
- What was I really passionate about this year?
- What were some of my favorite hobbies?
- What’s a goal you gave up on this year, and you’re glad you did that because objectively it wasn’t your highest priority?
- How did I use my recreational or personal time? Do my recreational activities help me become my higher self?
- How has what you enjoy shifted this year? For instance, you’re enjoying staying home more and going out or traveling less.
- How have I moved closer to a major life goal?
- What would I have to say to last year’s version of myself?
- In what aspect am I doing better in life than last year?
- How well did I take care of myself this year? Emotionally, mentally, physically?
- Describe this year with a single word. Perhaps a sentence or phrase can sum up the year.
Self-reflection questions on career
- What are the top 5 career lessons I learned over this past year?
- Does my current job reflect my core values & align with my life-long passions?
- Am I happy with what I have achieved professionally?
- Am I using my time wisely at work? Is there any room for improvement?
- Which part of my job stresses me the most? How can I delegate this task to someone else?
- Where do I see myself next year? Will I be doing the same thing or not?
- What do I wish I had done at work this year? For example, establishing boundaries with a co-worker, or ask for a raise.
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End-of-year reflection questions on finance
- How much have I earned and saved this year? Am I meeting my yearly goals?
- How much debt do I have at the moment? How has it increased/decreased throughout this year? Going forward, how much should I save at the end of the month in order to eliminate my debt within a shorter time span?
- What is the most worthy investment of my time/money this year?
- What was my favorite purchase of the year and why?
- What are some poor financial decisions I’ve made this year?
- What are my money goals for next year? How do I plan to achieve them?
Year-end review questions on health
There’s a reason why fitness goals are the #1 choice for New Year’s Resolutions! It’s the first thing we think about when seeking to improve our lives.
- What did a typical breakfast, lunch, and dinner look like for me?
- Have I provided my body with the right nutrients this year? What healthy habits can I incorporate into my routine today in order for my body to function better in the future?
- What are my current problem areas in the body? (could be skin conditions, unwanted fat, thinning hair)
- What did I do for exercise? Did it help me achieve my fitness goals?
- Did I maintain an exercise routine? Considering any problems in the body that I currently have, what type of exercise might be the most beneficial for me going forward?
- How many times did I eat out? What did I eat?
- How much sugar or junk did I consume?
End-of-Year Reflection Questions About Relationships
- Who is my closest friend? Did anything memorable happen between us this year?
- How was my love life this year? If it was lackluster, how will next year be better?
- What new lessons have I learned about my relationships this year?
- Who has inspired me the most this year? Why?
- Who has helped and supported me? In what way did these people support me?
- What relationship was the biggest positive surprise to you this year?
- Who do I need to thank for their role in my life this year?
- How did I tell the people around me that they are important to me? How did I let the know/understand that I’m grateful for their presence in my life?
- Have I spotted anyone toxic in my circle? In what ways will I manage my relationship with this person going forward?
- Have I reconnected with anyone this year?
- How much quality time did I spend with family? Rate the current relationship with family 0-10, In what ways can I deepen my relationship with my family?
- If I can only contact three people for the next entire year, who will they be, and why?
Spirituality questions to ask yourself at the end of the year
- Describe the best day of the year.
- My most common mental state this year was….
- How do I rate my mental health at the moment?
- What simple pleasures have I especially enjoyed this year?
- What have I done this year to improve my mental health? (therapy, journaling, support group, etc.)
- How did my self-perception change this year?
- What’s a thinking bias I’ve become aware of this year? For instance, perhaps you’ve become aware that you overcomplicate decisions, and this self-knowledge has been helpful.
- What is one thing I regret not doing this year? Why haven’t I done this thing yet?
- What disappointments did I face during the year? Things happen unexpectedly in all of our lives. Make a list of all the roadblocks and challenges you have faced and disappointments you have encountered. How do you feel looking back at these events, can you now view them with more clarity?
- Did I go through a tough period this year? How did I cope with negative feelings during this time? Does this experience still affect my life today? How has my perception of the experience changed over time?
- What was my biggest loss this year? How have I been healing?
- What mistakes am I still holding onto from the past year?
- What am I most grateful for this year?
- What is the most heartwarming thing someone has said to me this year?
- If you could rewind one year, what advice would you give yourself knowing what you know now?
Vision & goal setting
If you fail to plan that means you plan to fail 💁🏻♀️
- Pick a word for the upcoming year.
- What am I most excited about for the year to come?
- What am I willing to leave behind in 2024? What is weighing & holding you back, maybe they are relationships or fears and limiting beliefs. Be honest with yourself.
- What measurable & attainable goals do I want to set for myself?
I hope these end-of-year reflection questions have also helped you see the year less in terms of just checking off goals, and helped you think more broadly about how you’re evolving as a person. Are there any end-of-year reflection questions I may have missed out on? Let us know below in the comments 🙂
Have a wonderful New Year!
xoxo
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