A personal ‘Year in Review’ is a great way to reflect on the events and experiences of the past year. It can be a helpful exercise for identifying patterns, tracking progress, and setting goals for the future. It can also provide an opportunity to celebrate achievements and learn from challenges. Additionally, doing a personal year in review can help you gain a greater sense of clarity and direction, and to feel more in control of your life.
There are many ways to conduct a personal ‘Year in Review’. Something we do with our clients at their annual progress meeting is called the Wheel of Life. The Wheel of Life covers what we consider to be all the key areas of a person’s life:
- Family
- Health
- Leisure
- Learning
- Inner Growth
- Home
- Community
- Work
- Finances
We think a really useful way to conduct a personal ‘Year in Review’ is to answer questions related to the above areas, reflect on your answers, and set some intentions for the new year. With that in mind, here are the questions we suggest. Note that you don’t need to answer them in any particular order. You can jump from question to question and just make rough notes. If there are some areas or questions that don’t apply to you, skip them entirely.
The important thing is to give yourself some free time and head space to answer the below before then tackling the reflection phase.
The questions
Family
- Is there something you wish you’d done more with your family this year?
- When you were with your most immediate family members this year, were you mostly able to be ‘present’ with them? Or were you generally distracted?
- What is your favourite family moment or achievement for the year?
Health
- Where is your health now compared to where it was at the start of the year?
- Is there an aspect of your health (physical or mental) that is of particular concern to you?
- Is there an aspect of your health (physical or mental) that you are particularly proud of?
Leisure
- What tv/streaming series did you most get into this year?
- Were you able to commit time to playing a sport or exercising or doing an activity with friends on a regular basis?
- Which friend’s company did you enjoy most this year? Why?
Learning
- What’s something you know or know how to do now that you didn’t/could not at the start of the year?
- Is there a book, podcast, course or documentary series that changed your thinking on something?
- Was there one particular idea you came across (via reading, listening or watching) that particularly captured your imagination?
Inner Growth
- Describe an occasion this year where you asked for help and were glad you did.
- Did you have a focus word or goal for the year? How did that work for you?
- What good habit did you build this year?
Home
- Is there a room or area in your house that requires some attention or reorganisation?
- What room in your house do you most spend your time in?
- What room in your house do you feel most relaxed in?
Community
- What’s one way you engaged actively in your community in 2022?
- What person or organisation has been the strongest support to you this year?
- Is there a person or organisation you wish you’d been able to give more of your time to this year?
Work
- What was a professional challenge you faced this year? Are you happy with how you handled it?
- What aspect of your job/work lights you up the most?
- What’s a professional challenge you want to take on in the new year?
Finances
- What’s something (money-related) that worried you at the start of the year that you’re not worried about anymore?
- What’s the most worthwhile thing you did with your money or spent your money on this year?
- What’s one financial worry you’d like to put to bed in 2023?
Reflection and intention
Now that you’ve answered all the questions above, it’s reflection and intention time. Answering the below will ensure you enter the new year with clarity and purpose:
- What is something from this year that I’d do differently if I had my time again?
- What am I most proud of from this year?
- What are three areas of my life that I wish to give more time and energy to in 2023?
- What specific actions will I take to give those areas the time and energy they deserve in 2023?
Bring on 2023
We hope this exercise allows you to enter 2023 with greater clarity and clear intentions about where you direct your time, money and energy. This will help you align your values with your actions. If there’s one thing we’ve noticed over the years, it’s that people who consistently direct their energy in line with their values are the ones who tend to be the happiest.