The new year is almost upon us, and as the world prepares for new beginnings and positive starts, here are 21 end-of-the-year reflection questions to ponder till the 1st of January.
I must admit, I am quite looking forward to the New Year.
Then again, who doesn’t? It’s a glorious time to feel alive, bid goodbye to old chapters, and set foot in a new time.
But something about the coming year feels different to me. It isn’t a foreign feeling. I love how I never get used to the excitement and novelty of a new year.
Each year brings with it different vibes and various new meanings for each person.
Your goals and aspirations are unique to you, and that is an uplifting energy to carry.
But in the excitement of what’s to come, you might end up forgetting what’s been, which brings us to the section of this post.
Why You Need To Reflect On Your Year
Looking back on your year is a ritual every person should partake in.
Yes, it’s important to let go of your past, but a healthy reflection is essential for your personal growth.
It helps you reach new revelations that you might otherwise miss out on.
Also, your mindset shifts and adopts itself to move forward with a better understanding of your goals and action plans.
Related Post: 21 New Year’s Resolutions For A Life-Changing Year
Personally speaking, this past year has been humbling for me.
That might sound like an odd choice of word, but it was the one I kept stumbling upon while reflecting back on my time.
Self-reflection is an exercise I actively jump into the moment December rolls around.
It’s super fun and therapeutic at the same time, which is why I decided to write about my exact process of doing this activity.
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In this post, we look at 21 end-of-the-year reflection questions that everyone can benefit from answering before the New Year.
Let’s dive in.
21 Reflection Questions To Ask Yourself At The End Of The Year
1. What did your first month of this year look like and how does it compare to your current routine?
2. What was your coping mechanism for dealing with stress and other overwhelming emotions? Going forward, how would you like to improve it?
3. What are the top three things that you are grateful for this year?
4. Which challenges did you overcome this year, and what values did they bring to your life?
5. What did your priority list look like throughout these past months? Is there anything you’d like to change?
6. What is the biggest lesson this year taught you?
7. What made this year different from the ones before?
8. Which people in your life did you get closer to?
9. What was the toughest time for your this past year? How do you feel about it now?
10. Do you have any regrets? How would you like to get rid of this feeling?
11. What is the best thing that happened to you this year?
12. If you could do things differently, what would you change? Can you implement these ideas in the coming year?
13. Who was the most prominent person for you this year?
14. What advice does the present year you have for your future self?
15. Which goals were you able to accomplish?
16. Was self-care a priority? If not, how can you fix this going forward?
15. What things did you let go of? How do you feel about them?
16. What was the best day?
17. Which new skills did you develop? m
18. How did your vision for life change?
19. Which areas of life were you laser-focused on?
20. Which toxic habits did you discard, and which ones are you looking forward to eliminating?
21. What was your favorite thing about yourself this year?
How To Use End Of The Year Questions For Personal Growth
The questions I’ve laid out in this post are perfect for a yearly self-introspection session.
But to extract the maximum benefits from this activity, you should go about it right away.
Here are my recommended ways of putting these questions to good use.
1. Journal
If you don’t own a journal, then please jump on board as soon as possible.
It’s one of the rare things that fit into every person’s life, whether they are logical thinkers, daylight dreamers, or a mix of both.
At the beginning of this year, journaling was one of my new year’s resolutions.
I stuck by it and reaped some amazing rewards in return. I swear I am now a different person because of it.
For your yearly review, who best to ponder over your past time than your secret-keeping pal?
Grab a journal, and answer all these questions one by one as you walk down memory lane.
Use pictures, doodles, and small sentences, or create long entries for questions that speak to your soul.
The best thing is that this review will stay with you forever, and you can look back to it in the future whenever you want.
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2. Discuss With A Friend
By the 31st of December every year, I exchange emails with a long-distance friend giving him my yearly review.
Both of us have a blast doing this and see it as a closing activity for our year.
It’s so fun to engage with a friend on this topic and hear their side of things at the same time.
This ritual is perfect to map out your recent past because there’s someone you get to share it with.
The plus point is that it brings you and your friend closer, which is always a heartwarming accomplishment.
Discuss these end of the year questions with a friend who you trust, and enjoy listening to their answers in return. Trust me, it helps.
3. Talk To The Mirror
If you’re looking for an encouraging way to look back on your year, this tip is for you. But first, I want to let you in on a little secret.
Up until some time ago, the mirror was not my best friend, and I didn’t like my toxic relationship with it.
With the help of your pep talks and self-love affirmations, I was able to shift my mindset.
And I’m glad I did because being on friendly terms with the mirror can be life-altering. In fact, I’d urge you to make a resolution out of it for the coming year.
Pondering about these questions out loud while looking in the mirror would be a good start. 🙂
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4. Write A Letter To Yourself
Don’t own a journal and are not a fan of speaking out loud? No worries. A self-love letter might be just the thing you need.
Honestly, I’m yet to try this method, because I’m leaving it for the last day of the year.
But I can guarantee you that writing a letter to yourself would bring you closure and help you connect to the deeper parts of yourself.
Grab your favorite pen and a piece of paper, and use the questions above as prompts to pen down a letter.
Address it to yourself and use a loving tone, because you deserve nothing less.
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Use These Reflection Questions For A Recharging Yearly Review
I seriously had a great time answering these end of the year reflection questions, and think you might benefit from doing the same.
In my opinion, introspection is the healthiest way to bid goodbye to a year.
It’s important to analyze your past so that you can carry the good memories and important lessons with you, and leave the rest behind.
So, answer these questions using whatever method you see fit. And have a happy and successful New Year. 😀
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