The end of the year can be a tense time. In addition to the usual demands of this time – business closures, social obligations, higher expenses – there is a turning point that invites us to look back and look ahead. Questions arise: How was my year? Have I grown or stagnated? Have I achieved my goals? What do I want for the next one? Am I on the right track? These are profound questions and for this very reason there are not always quick answers. But we live in a time that requires immediacy and constant determination, and that can increase stress when we think about taking stock of the year or planning for the next.
That’s why today I’m sharing four steps with you to organize your ideas and guide you in conscious – and really useful – reflection on your ideas End of year.1. Choose if this is the best time to do it. December usually brings us into balance. We open the networks and see celebrations, successes, summaries. This can create the urge to sit down and write something similar, even without having the time or emotional state to do it. But the balance doesn’t have to be a commitment on the calendar. If you’re finishing projects, dealing with family obligations, or feeling like you just don’t have time, do it later.
Sometimes January – quieter – allows for more honest reflection. Or in March, when a new cycle begins. Many people even choose to reflect on their year on their birthday: a different kind of “break” that can be just as valuable. If you finish an important project and don’t have mental space, leave the rest for the first week of January. If the year has been emotionally intense, you can give yourself a “month of time” to look at it more objectively.
2. List the areas of your life. When we evaluate a year, we usually focus only on the economic or productive: whether I worked more, whether I got a promotion, whether my business grew, whether I saved.Evaluating a year solely based on professional or economic aspects is a common mistake. On the other hand, looking at different areas allows for a fairer and more complete appearance.
For example, you can include: Physical health: Have you rested better? Have you done any upcoming studies? Emotional Health: Did you ask for help when you needed it? Have you managed to set boundaries? Left: Have you spent more time with your family? Have you strengthened friendships? Habits: Have you started cooking more at home? Have you started reading again? Personal Growth: Have you taken a class, changed a habit, gotten excited about something new? Leisure: Have you picked a hobby? Have you visited a new place? A tool I usually use with my clients is this Wheel of lifewhere you identify different areas and rate your level of satisfaction in each area from 1 to 10. This exercise helps balance your perspective and prevent a single area – such as: B. the work – determines the entire evaluation of the year.
Maybe you’ve had a difficult year at work, but you’ve improved your sleep habits. Or you didn’t manage to save what you wanted, but you found a friendship again that was good for you. Or you didn’t complete the race you signed up for but went back to training.
3. Define what you want to “balance.” Not all areas have the same weight for all people and at all times. Therefore, prioritization is crucial. Choose three or four key areas based on your goals from the past year or your most important pursuits. Once you’ve made your selection, make a quick list: What did I do? What have I learned? What obstacles am I facing? What have I achieved? What didn’t work?
If you have made health a priority, your list might include: “I went to the doctor I had been putting off,” “I started walking for 15 minutes a day,” “I stopped skipping meals,” “I had difficult weeks and reverted to my old habits, but I was able to get back to them.” If you prioritized your work life: “I didn’t get a promotion, but I managed a new project,” “I took a training course that pleasantly surprised me,” “I learned to delegate more.” If you prioritized your relationships: “I spoke to my parents more often,” “I organized trips with friends,” “I managed to set boundaries in a relationship that was draining me.”
4. Use reflection to project the future. The goal of the review is not to determine whether your year was “good” or “bad,” but rather to find insights that will help you better direct your energy moving forward. Use your thoughts to define new goals. Write them down and save them: in a phone note, in an agenda, on a sheet hanging on the fridge. And don’t wait until December to try them out. You can return to them in April, August, or whenever you feel the need for recalibration.
For example, if you find that quiet is an issue, you might suggest turning off screens at 11 p.m. or sleep at least seven hours. If you’ve noticed progress at work, perhaps the goal for 2025 is to negotiate better terms. If the bond seems weakened, you can define a small habit: a weekly lunch with a friend, a phone call every Sunday.Taking stock isn’t about demanding more of yourself, it’s about giving yourself space to recognize the path you’re on. Sometimes we discover progress that we hadn’t registered; In other cases, we better understand what we need to adjust. Both things add up.
Remember: you cannot change all areas of your life at the same time. Choose what you want to focus on in 2026, refer back to your notes when needed, and use them as a compass so you don’t lose sight of what you want to build.
About The Author
