Yearly Reflection

Personal Reflections
Written By Holly Gardner

Whether you’re a fan of new years or birthday celebrations, there is a power in spending time reflecting on the past year and looking towards the year ahead.

My word for 2025 was Nurture.

I’m not the biggest fan of new years resolutions. Why?

  • You don’t always have enough data to make goals for a whole year. 

  • Life can change pretty quickly and you need to be flexibility to make sustainable changes.

I find intention setting a better way to think about long term change. Then I create routines and rituals that honor the capacity I have at any given time of year while still being focused on my progress. 

My Go-To Annual Review: YearCompass

For the past eight years, I’ve set aside 2 days during December or January to complete the Year Compass.

Just as with your annual review at work. This is an annual review of your life. 

From the website:

“YearCompass is a free booklet that helps you reflect on the year and plan the next one. With a set of carefully selected questions and exercises, YearCompass helps you uncover your own patterns and design the ideal year for yourself. Learn from your mistakes, celebrate your victories, and set out a path you want to walk on. All you need is a quiet few hours and our booklet.”

You can find the free YearCompass booklet here! In 100+ languages. 

Phase 1: Reflection (Learning from the Past)

This phase asks you to walk through your year week by week, reflecting on different areas like personal life, family, friends, community, physical health, and fitness

Example Reflection Questions:

  • The biggest surprise of the year...

  • What is the best thing you have discovered about yourself?

  • A book or a movie was made about your past year. What title would you give it?

Phase 2: Dare to Dream Big (Planning the Future)

This phase asks you to think about the year ahead and what an ideal year would look like. You set clear intentions for the year.

Example Questions:

  • These three things I will have the power to say no to.

  • I will connect with my loved ones in these three ways.

  • This year I will not procrastinate any more on…

  • Pick a work to symbolize and define the year ahead

In 2025, my word was Nurture. I set out to nurture all of the parts of myself and my life—to take care in the things that I do. Looking back through the year,  I think it’s been a pretty successful year when I look at it like that.

Now, I look forward to picking my word of 2026 and inviting new energy into my life.

Holly Gardner
Next

Good Strategy/Bad Strategy