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As we are coming up on the end of another unique year in history, you’re probably looking forward to post-pandemic life and wishing to leave the past behind you.
I think we are all ready for that. But, putting worldly crises aside, it’s still important to reflect on your experiences so you can analyze what’s working and where you have opportunities to make some adjustments or improvements.
While I’m not a huge fan of waiting until January 1st to make positive changes, the ending of one year and beginning of another offers a natural opportunity to take some time to consider the bigger picture of your life. So in this article, we are going to review 43 questions you can ask yourself to prompt this type of reflection.
But first, let’s talk about why doing an end-of-year reflection is a critical exercise for your ongoing self-improvement efforts.
What Is an End-of-Year Reflection and Why Is it Important?
It’s easy to feel excited for a fresh start to a new year. A clean slate is upon you and you have the best intentions to work hard toward your goals.
But in the midst of thinking about what the future potentially holds, it’s important to reflect upon both the good and bad experiences that have shaped the person you are today. Taking the time to absorb the opportunities and lessons from the past year can help you learn what to do (or not do) to be successful in the future.
While doing an end-of-year reflection, look for the areas in your life that you’ve been successful and where you have made some missteps. Give yourself credit for your accomplishments and consider the lessons you’ve learned during times of struggle.
Critique the choices you made and the subsequent outcomes. Could you have spent your money, energy, and time in a way that was more beneficial for your future? What changes can you make moving forward?
Without considering the happenings of the past year, you’re putting yourself at risk of repeating your mistakes or not recognizing where you could make improvements in your life.
You may also lose out on the opportunity to acknowledge the progress you’ve made over the past year in your personal and professional life, and doing so can certainly be motivating to keep up the hard work.
But just thinking about the highlights from the last year without any prompts will probably give you an incomplete picture of your year. So we’ve gathered 43 reflection questions that you can use to prompt your memory and help you really analyze where you were a year ago, where you are today, and where you want to go.
Let’s get started.
43 End of Year Reflection Questions to Review Your 2023 Year
1. If someone else were to write a book about your year, how would it go?
This question forces you to take an outsider’s perspective on your reality. How would your story go–would there be progression to the story or would it stay pretty stagnant? Who would be the main characters aside from yourself? What would the moral of the story be?
In addition to encouraging you to think about your year as a whole, thinking about this question will help shed some light on how you played a part in some of the stories of other people’s lives as well.
2. What surprised you about this year?
If you could tell your late-2023 self one thing about this year that you wouldn’t have believed at the time, what would it be? For me, it would be that I haven’t moved on from my full-time job.
It’s been a long road and I never thought I would make it a year. But it has shown me that I’m persistent and I’m stronger than I thought I was. What has surprised you, and why?
3. What worked?
In what ways were you successful this year? What goals did you meet? How did you solve some of the problems you faced?
Think about the positive outcomes you worked for, both in your personal and professional life. When you start to reflect on the things you have done well, you may realize it’s a lot more than you would have originally thought.
4. What didn’t work?
What do you wish you had done differently? Could you have approached something with a better attitude or put more effort into a project? Or maybe you should have listened to the constructive feedback you received that felt like criticism at the time. How can you be sure to not repeat this mistake?
5. How did you engage in self-care?
Throughout the chaos of the year, did you take time for yourself? What did you do to unwind or destress? Are there certain times throughout the year that you found you needed to do some extra self-care? What self-care activities did you find to be especially helpful?
Think about what coping skills were effective and how you can incorporate them more into your life moving forward.
6. What do you wish you had done this year?
In an effort to minimize regrets and missed opportunities, think of the things that you maybe wanted to do but didn’t. Why didn’t you follow through? Maybe it was something as simple as being invited out one night but you felt too tired to go, or perhaps it was something bigger like turning down a job offer and later regretting it.
What was your thought process that led to your ultimate decision and how can you alter this process in the future to have a better outcome?
7. What bad habit did you drop?
And what impact has it had on your life? Did you stop drinking sodas or limit the number of times you bought your lunch from a restaurant during the week? Did dropping your bad habit have the impact that you had hoped for? What bad habit can you drop next year to make an even bigger impact on your life?
8. What was your greatest accomplishment?
Acknowledging your accomplishments will heighten your sense of worth and feelings of purpose. Considering this question also reinforces your positive behaviors that you need when you face new challenges.
On the other hand, if you don’t celebrate your accomplishments, you’re endorsing the idea that what you’re doing isn't meaningful.
So what are you the most proud of and how can you continue on that path during the upcoming year?
9. What disappointed you this year?
Reflecting on what disappointed you this year will help you address your struggles and explore the negative emotions that you experienced. For example, maybe you received unfavorable feedback at work that was difficult to spin into an opportunity for growth–or maybe a relationship that you had high hopes for didn’t work out.
Thinking about this question will help you get in touch with any leftover feelings of anger, hurt, or resentment that may still be affecting you today. This can give you a more balanced perspective of the situation and offer a chance to recognize a missed opportunity, granting greater insight about yourself that can help shape your future goals.
10. What transitions did you make this year?
Did you start a new job? Or go through a breakup? What chapter in your life turned a page this past year and what have you learned during the process?
11. When did you learn from a failure?
It takes courage to acknowledge your failures without letting them define you, but doing so helps with self-acceptance and it will encourage you to get used to finding the lessons in your mistakes.
There are many well-known people who found success through failure. One thing you can always learn from your mistakes is that they’re not the end of the road.
To overcome your failure, you need to evaluate and alter your approach. In doing so, your failure will teach you that you have to embrace change to be successful. What changes do you need to embrace in the coming year?
12. Did you do your best?
Surely you will be able to think of some times when you did your best and other times when you didn’t. Think about the circumstances that were preventing you from not giving your all to a task and what the consequences were.
What did you do in situations where you did your best and failed? Asking yourself if you did your best will help you compassionately accept your failures.
[See some deep questions to get to know people better!]
13. Name a time when you had to be brave and step outside of your comfort zone.
Stepping out of your self-imposed boundaries probably isn’t something that you generally look forward to doing, but doing so can come with great rewards. Think about the times that you were able to survive outside of your comfort zone in the last year and how you grew from those experiences.
Think about what coping skills helped get you through it and set some goals for the future that include using these skills to support you in the process of self-growth.
14. What did you spend too much time or energy on?
Some things seem like a big deal at the moment and we get caught up in handling what seems to be a critical issue; but upon reflection, you can recognize the outcome didn’t have a significant impact on your life.
What can you put into perspective now that you couldn’t seem to at the time? How can you remember to stop and put things into perspective in the future before wasting your time or energy?
15. What did you avoid?
Maybe another year has gone by and you’ve managed to avoid having a difficult (but necessary) conversation, or you’ve continued to avoid the late payment reminders on some old debt. If there is something that you’re keeping on the backburner, make it a goal to knock it out in the upcoming year.
16. Who were your major supporters this year?
Who did you count on to always be there for you this year? If you started a new job, maybe there is one particular co-worker who has been especially helpful or maybe you’ve made a new professional contact who has helped you advance your career.
Make sure that the people who have helped you throughout the year know that you’re appreciative.
17. What new habit or routine did you create this year to improve your efficiency (either at home or at work)?
Being efficient is a key part of working smarter. I “trialed and errored” this year until I found an organizing routine at work that keeps me on top of things and prevents me from letting any little task slip through the cracks.
It took a lot of tries before I got this just right–but once I did, it increased my confidence in my work and now I don’t have to go back and double check myself constantly throughout the day.
18. What did you handle well?
It’s easy to walk away from a situation wishing you had handled it differently, but what are some things that you handled well this year? What was your decision-making process at the time? How can you apply a similar process in future endeavors?
19. What sticks out as being a meaningful moment?
Thinking about the moments that left a lasting impression will help you determine what you want to spend more time doing in the upcoming year. Maybe it was a rare moment with a friend or a volunteer activity you did–examining what mattered the most to you this year will help you determine where you want to spend more time moving forward.
20. What was the most significant thing you read this year?
What sticks out in your mind as having the biggest impact on your life–whether it was a motivational self-help book, an inspiring biography, or a single blog post that prompted you to make a big change? Think of everything that you’ve learned through reading over the past year and reflect on the things that really impacted you in some way.
21. What are you grateful for?
When you think about what you’re grateful for, you will gain a deeper understanding of the things that matter to you so you can establish goals that are aligned with your values and priorities for the upcoming year. Start by creating a gratitude list or use these gratitude prompts for inspiration.
22. What did you change your mind about?
This doesn’t have to be major (like changing your career path), but it could be. This could also be a belief or opinion that you no longer hold or plans for the future that you once had but have now changed.
Thinking about the things that you’ve changed your mind about will help remind you of life’s fluidity and how you’re constantly evolving. Very few things in life are set in stone, so you don’t always need to be rigid or hard on yourself.
23. What’s a cognitive bias you caught yourself thinking this year?
What mental shortcuts have you taken and what snap judgements did they lead to? Did you catch yourself thinking in terms of a cognitive bias in the moment or is it only upon reflection that you’re recognizing your mistake?
Staying aware of cognitive biases will help reduce the amount of flawed reasoning you use and help you make better decisions. Being able to spot these biases (both when you fall for them and in conversation with others) will give you an open mind and ultimately lead to better choices.
24. If you could rewind one year, what advice would you give yourself knowing what you know now?
It’s interesting to see how much knowledge and wisdom you've gained through this past somewhat challenging year. Take the advice that you would give to your past self and apply it now to help improve this next year.
25. What is a new skill that you learned this year?
Maybe you had to switch over to an updated computer system at work or you took up a new hobby that you’ve always wanted to learn about. Think of at least one skill in which you’ve progressed through the stages of learning and competence this year.
What skills do you want to learn in 2023?
26. How did your relationship with yourself change this year?
As we learn and grow mentally and spiritually, we learn a little more about ourselves. As you reflect on the past year, ask yourself if you have become your own best friend, disappointed yourself, or in some other way discovered a trait that changed how you view yourself.
Hopefully, you have discovered some wonderful things about yourself and your strengths throughout the year.
27. What was the most fun you had this year?
When asking this question, consider the company you were with, the activity, and what mindset you were in when this fun occurred. Maybe you had a dream come true or maybe it was just a realization you came to about being happy while participating in a routine activity.
Were you surprised at the thought that you were having fun? Make sure you include elements of this event in your future plans!
28. What three words sum up the theme of this year?
Condensing the year into a mere three words won't be easy. It requires that you look at the year as a whole, as well as individual highlights. You may be surprised at how many good things happened that allowed your focus to stray away from the lesser moments.
Yet, you may have had one major event that took all your strength and courage to get through. Look over the year's events with a non-judgmental view and ask yourself what three words appear most often.
29. Did I improve anyone's life this year?
A successful life is more than just how much you improve, it is also about what kind of impact you leave behind. Sometimes we don't even realize how much we have done to make someone's life better.
A smile or compliment given at the right moment can literally save a life. Maybe you didn't go out and create some major act of heroism, but think back over the year.
Did you teach someone something they were struggling with? Did you listen to someone who was feeling alone and unheard? Maybe you delivered a hot meal to a neighbor who was ill or spent time volunteering at an animal shelter. You did make a difference, even if you may not realize it.
30. What character trait did I find most useful this year?
We often find ourselves relying on the same few character traits. Sometimes, it appears we need to rely on resourcefulness to get through several things in a row. Other times, it is our ability to be a great listener or courage. Think back over the past year.
Was there a particular character trait you found helped you the most throughout the year? Do you think it was a good thing or a negative thing that this was the most prevalent trait necessary? Did you find out you had a positive trait, such as calmness or strength, that you didn't realize you had?
31. How are you different than when you started the year?
Unless you spend your life sitting at the kitchen table all day, every day, going nowhere and doing nothing but watching videos or scrolling through Facebook, there is going to be some change in you. Living itself is conducive to change, be it positive or negative. Change means you are different.
Look back to this time last year and see how you are different today than you were last year. Maybe the difference is a small one. Maybe it is huge. Think about how you are different and decide whether you want to continue going in that direction.
32. How has the way you view yourself changed over the past year?
We tend to view ourselves in a completely different way than others view us. Every so often, however, we get through a situation, have success, or do something else that changes the person we see in the mirror. Often, we think we are less capable, less lovable, or less deserving than we are.
Were you able to put aside any such images of yourself this year and start to see the incredible person you truly are? What caused you to come to that realization?
Make sure you carry that new positive image into the new year. If, however, your image of yourself has changed for the worse, take a deep look and find out why, then look for ways to see the best in yourself.
33. What can you do to improve next year?
Any review of the current year needs to include an idea of what you want to change or keep in the coming year.
Regardless of how well your year went, do you have goals for how you want to grow in the coming year? Everyone has an idea of where they want to be. Can you think about what steps you need to take to move forward? Life is about growth. You've got this!
34. What is my financial outlook after this past year?
With all the ups and downs we experience, our finances aren't exempt from the rollercoaster ride called life. Maybe you had several unexpected expenses due to medical issues for you, a spouse, or a child.
You possibly had a year inundated with home repairs and auto repair costs. Then, your hours were cut back at work, or you may have even been laid off.
Finally, there is the possibility that you simply didn’t manage your money well. You ate out when you should have eaten more meals at home. You made a budget but often failed to stick with it. It could be that during a rough season of the year, you found relief with retail therapy.
There is also the possibility that your outlook was better than expected. You received an unexpected raise, or your business sales skyrocketed, and you were able to save more money than expected.
No matter the outlook, it's important to reflect and see if your actions are working toward your overall life goals or if you need to tighten the financial belt going into the New Year.
35. What worries me most as I navigate the future?
When we look at the future, it is often a reflection of a current trend or information presented to us in the present. So, as you reflect and see where things are in the present, are they trending upward or downward? Is there something that concerns you based on a trend you're seeing now?
Has your stock been trending downward? Do you have a loved one whose medical condition isn't improving? Does it look like the “brook is drying up” on how you operate your business? Reflecting on those things now will help you wisely navigate the future with a plan to pivot or brace for impact.
36. Who or what can I live without going forward?
We are not the same people we were five years ago, three years ago, and in many cases, the same as we were at the start of this year. As we change, we often expect others (who are also ever-changing) to be there for us in the same way.
We also expect specific systems and things to continue serving our needs. When they don't, we hold on in nostalgia. But it's time to see who or what has served its purpose in the past but doesn't quite fit into the life of the person we are today.
37. Where do I see myself this time next year?
It's safe to say that as we reflect on our year and look to the future, we want a better year next year than this one has been. To reach our goals in life, it's vital to make small, attainable S.M.A.R.T. goals along the way.
So, year after year, what progress do you hope to see in your overall mental health, finances, or career? Then, set practical daily, weekly, and monthly objectives to help you know where you desire to be at a year's end.
38. How can I have more self-confidence in the New Year?
When looking to be more self-confident, it helps to review what worked for you this past year. In what ways did you crush it? What do you bring to the table uniquely in your career, personal relationships, and overall goals?
Look at how you have improved over where you were this time last year and build on that and the productive feedback you’ve received throughout the year to build your confidence and navigate forward.
Positively affirm yourself and the impact you make in the lives of others to close out this year and step boldly into the new.
39. Do you feel valued and appreciated by others for all you did this year?
When dealing with others, whether in our jobs or within our families, we will always find those who value and appreciate us. Then, sadly, we will also have those who use us for an agenda or simply take us for granted.
No matter what you do, it doesn't feel good enough, and you find yourself serving others for their approval and acceptance. In those times, it's a good idea to stop and recognize how those people are making us feel and, if needed, change our environment.
Sometimes, it's hard to see when we're taken advantage of, so it's essential to heed the warnings of others in our inner circle who may see it and point it out to us.
It may be time to start out the year in places where we are celebrated and not tolerated.
40. Did I complete any bucket list items this year?
Most of us have things we would love to do or accomplish in our lifetimes before we “kick the bucket.” These items may be grand in nature, like swimming with dolphins or walking the Great Wall of China.
Your bucket list may include minor accomplishments like learning a new language or making pasta from scratch. But all list items are things you care about based on your interests, passions, and purpose.
Reflect on the items you accomplished this year. Think about the things you wish you had done but didn't do. Meditate on the frequency in which you’d like to achieve the other objectives on your list going forward so there are no feelings of regret year over year.
41. What did I take for granted this year?
In all our reflections, we will begin to notice people, places, things, and advantages we've had but didn't fully appreciate this past year.
Maybe you didn’t have any problems with your vehicle, you still have your family alive and in good health, and you get to do work every day that you enjoy.
Sadly, life's evil and unfortunate things seem to zap our strength and get the most of our attention. So, the things that are good and right can often be taken for granted.
The way to fix this is to work to become more grateful and live each day with a heart of thanksgiving. Over time, it helps us see the bad in a better light and show gratitude for everything and everyone else.
If you're looking for gratitude journal prompts, then check out this video:
42. Who do I look up to the most as inspiration?
No matter what we aspire to be in life, there is always someone we can look to for inspiration. To a kid who plays basketball, Kobe Bryant may be their inspiration.
They began watching videos and listening to his interviews with the media to get an idea of the person he was on and off the court, which led to his success. For more significant impact, those inspired by his words even put his quotes on their vision boards for inspiration.
The same is true in any industry. Who is an expert in your field that you can learn the most from moving forward? Do you know them personally, or do they have any books or media that you can glean from for inspiration?
43. What did you receive the most compliments on this past year?
Compliments are free gifts we can give each other to express the positive impact of a person's kind gesture, act of service, or just for being them.
Many have a habit of hiding their smile with their hand until someone points out how amazing their smile is. Others are timid about singing until someone points out their incredible singing voice.
So, what sincere compliments have you received this year? As you reflect on them, let them give you confidence as you enter the New Year. Make those kind words into daily affirmations until you believe them about yourself wholeheartedly.
Final Thoughts on End of Year Reflection Questions
To recap, here are 43 questions to think about when reflecting on this past year.
- If someone else were to write a book about your year, how would it go?
- What surprised you about this year?
- What worked?
- What didn’t work?
- How did you engage in self-care?
- What do you wish you had done this year?
- What bad habit did you drop?
- What was your greatest accomplishment?
- What disappointed you this year?
- What transitions did you make this year?
- When did you learn from a failure?
- Did you do your best?
- Name a time when you had to be brave and step outside of your comfort zone.
- What did you spend too much time or energy on?
- What did you avoid?
- Who were your major supporters this year?
- What new habit or routine did you create this year to improve your efficiency (either at home or at work)?
- What did you handle well?
- What sticks out as being a meaningful moment?
- What was the most significant thing you read this year?
- What are you grateful for?
- What did you change your mind about?
- What’s a cognitive bias you caught yourself thinking this year?
- If you could rewind one year, what advice would you give yourself knowing what you know now?
- What is a new skill that you learned this year?
- How did your relationship with yourself change this year?
- What was the most fun you had this year?
- What three words sum up the theme of this year?
- Did I improve anyone's life this year?
- What character trait did I find most useful this year?
- How are you different than when you started the year?
- How has the way you view yourself changed over the past year?
- What can you do to improve next year?
- What is my financial outlook after this past year?
- What worries me most as I navigate the future?
- Who or what can I live without going forward?
- Where do I see myself this time next year?
- How can I have more self-confidence in the New Year?
- Do you feel valued and appreciated by others for all you did this year?
- Did I complete any bucket list items this year?
- What did I take for granted this year?
- Who do I look up to the most as inspiration?
- What did you receive the most compliments on this past year?
Hopefully you’ve been able to think about some achievements or successes that you had previously overlooked.
When answering these questions, make sure to consider all of the ideas that you can think about related to the prompt so you can recognize how much you’ve evolved as a person. In doing so, you will set yourself up for a progressive and successful 2024.
And if you want more interesting questions to ask, be sure to check out these blog posts:
- 205 Questions to Ask a New Friend to Quickly Get to Know Them
- 171 Deep Would You Rather Questions to Know Someone Better
- 437 Deep Questions to Ask Someone
Finally, if you want to take your goal-setting efforts to the next level, check out this FREE printable worksheet and a step-by-step process that will help you set effective SMART goals.
Connie Mathers is a professional editor and freelance writer. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Marketing and a Master’s Degree in Social Work. When she is not writing, Connie is either spending time with her daughter and two dogs, running, or working at her full-time job as a social worker in Richmond, VA.
