As we approach the close of another year, I find myself asking more than the question, “Where did the time go?” I’m asking something deeper: What have I learned? Who have I become? How am I different today than I was 365 days ago?
Of course, it is so easy to notice the passage of time. However, what we notice less often is who we are becoming as time passes.
So before you step into a new year with plans, goals, and resolutions, take a moment to pause, breathe, and honestly look at your own growth.
Self-Reflection Questions
Here are a few questions to guide your reflection. Let them invite awareness, not judgment:
What is true in your life today that was not true a year ago?
Which moments most shaped you? How have they impacted who you are becoming?
What goals have you accomplished, even small ones? Which ones stretched you?
How meaningful does your life feel? How fully have you lived your purpose and values?
How have your relationships changed? More importantly, how have you changed in those relationships?
What old patterns returned during moments of stress or vulnerability? What new choices did you make to break old patterns?
What are you most proud of from the past year?
What do you regret? Is there a conversation to have, an apology to offer, a forgiveness to extend—to others or to yourself?
What are you most grateful for? What wise decisions made a difference this year?
We Can’t Go Back
We can’t go back and unsay words or undo decisions. But we can learn from them. We can honor what this year has taught us and let it refine the way we think, love, work, and live going forward.
So before you rush to make plans for 2026, give yourself the gift of reflection. Not to criticize yourself, but to clarify your intentions and deepen your growth.
Next year won’t be perfect. No year is. But with an awakened heart, a clear mind, and intentional choices, it can be a very good year.
