End of Year Reflection 2025
A practical guide to extracting wisdom, gratitude, and clarity before the new year begins.
It’s that time of year again: the perfect moment to pause, reflect, and appreciate the journey we’ve been on.
The value of perspective is that it stretches time. When we’re overwhelmed, perspective pulls us out of the intensity of right now and lets us see our lives in terms of years and decades, not just this moment.
Reflection brings clarity and gratitude. It reminds us how far we’ve come, even in the seemingly ordinary moments. It’s not about dwelling on the past, but learning from it and using those lessons to shape a purposeful future.
Reflection equips us with the tools to extract meaning from life’s experiences, making it an essential practice for living and leading intentionally.
It’s the practice of what I call
Still,
learning to let go, stop struggling, and resist the urge to control everything
in an age of chaos.
(For a deeper exploration of this concept, see my book Still: Leading with Presence in an Age of Chaos.)
So, as the year winds down, give yourself permission to look back and let your journey inspire your next steps.
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Setting the Stage for Reflection
To fully immerse yourself in this transformative process, create the right conditions.
Schedule dedicated time. Block at least half a day, ideally a full day, for reflection. Choose a date that avoids the chaos of holiday stress, such as mid-December or early January.
Find a distraction-free environment. Choose a quiet space away from your usual surroundings: a café, park, retreat center, or cozy corner at home where you won’t be interrupted.
Go analog. Use a pen and notebook. Writing by hand slows you down and deepens your connection with your thoughts. You can always transfer insights to a digital format later.
Prepare thoughtful prompts. These questions, along with any you add, are designed to help you celebrate your growth, embrace the lessons, and set meaningful intentions for the year ahead.
Reflection Prompts for Year-End Review
Before diving into specific areas, start here:
Check-in: How are you coming into this time?
Where are you right now, emotionally and spiritually?
What’s the energy you’re bringing to this reflection?
What do you hope to discover or understand?
Now, explore these areas:
Achievements and Growth
What accomplishment am I most proud of this year?
If my personal growth this year had a headline, what would it say?
Memorable Moments
What is one moment from this year I’ll carry with me forever?
What small, unexpected joy brought light to my life this year?
Decisions and Impact
Which decision shaped my life in surprising ways this year?
If I could return to that moment, what would I tell myself about the journey ahead?
Challenges and Lessons
What was the toughest challenge I faced, and how did it shape me?
What life lesson from this year will guide me moving forward?
Faith and Spiritual Reflection
If faith is central to your life, these questions can deepen your reflection:
What spiritual theme emerged for me this year?
How did God reveal Himself to me through His Word, people, prayer, or events?
What Bible verse or spiritual truth resonated with me most, and how did it guide me?
Choosing a guiding word, theme, or verse for the year ahead can align your goals with a deeper purpose, offering clarity and peace.
Priorities and Intentions
If I could choose one word or theme to guide next year, what would it be?
Which habits, relationships, or goals deserve my focus in the coming year?
Working Through Your Reflection
As you engage with these prompts, remember: this isn’t a test, and there are no “right” answers.
Don’t feel pressured to answer every single question. Some will spark pages of reflection; others might yield just a sentence or two. Let yourself linger where something stirs. That’s usually where the real insight lives.
If you find yourself staring at a blank page, start with the easiest prompt, usually “memorable moments” or “unexpected joys.” Sometimes the smaller threads lead to the bigger insights. And if this year feels quiet or unremarkable, that itself might be the discovery. Not every year needs to be dramatic to be meaningful.
If emotions surface as you write, that’s part of the process. This is a conversation with yourself, not a performance for anyone else.
My Decision of the Year: Wait
Over time, I’ve learned to craft my own prompts for personal and professional growth. But this year was different.
These prompts aren’t just theoretical. Here’s what happened when I started working through my own. The exact reflection you’re about to do is what helped uncover that WAIT was my decision of the year. As I reflected, I realized that my decision of the year wasn’t about something external. It was internal.
My decision of the year is a straightforward word: WAIT.
Wait for my book to be published. Hold off before taking action. Pause before making major decisions. Be cautious about trusting my initial feelings. Stay in uncertainty. Wait for the fog to clear before the horizon.
I’ve been learning to become comfortable with waiting, to resist the urge to rush, fix, or force outcomes. Instead of letting urgency or emotion drive me, I’ve chosen to pause, to listen, and to let things unfold at the right time.
More and more, I see that this decision to wait is not about passivity; it’s about trust. It’s an internal shift from control to surrender, from hurry to stillness. And that quiet, internal choice has shaped everything else this year.
Every year holds value. The small, intentional steps, seeking wisdom, nurturing relationships, investing in your inner life, or leaning into faith- often have the most significant impact.
Looking Ahead: Building Momentum for a Purposeful New Year
Reflection isn’t about setting all your priorities for the new year on the spot. It’s about preparing yourself for that process. It becomes the fuel for purposeful planning, and the detailed work can come later in another focused session. This is why reflection comes first: goals built on clarity and self-awareness are the ones that actually stick.
For now, pause, pay attention, and listen.
Once you’ve completed your reflection, distill your insights into a simple format you can revisit: a one-page summary, a few key themes, or even just your “word of the year.” Schedule a quarterly check-in to review what you wrote. The real power of reflection isn’t just in the doing. It’s in returning to what you discovered.
Plan Your Reflective Day
Open your agenda and schedule your reflection day now.
Prepare your prompts.
Choose your space.
Set the tone, perhaps with a walk, a favorite drink, or a quiet moment of prayer.
Whether you’re a seasoned reflector or trying this for the first time, this practice will bring clarity, gratitude, and purpose to your journey.
The year is almost over. Your reflection day is waiting.
Schedule it now and discover what this year has been trying to teach you.
A Special Invitation
I’m offering two readers a complimentary free 1-hour coaching session in January 2026 to help you process your reflection and turn your insights into action.
Here’s how it works:
Submit your interest by filling out this brief form by December 20, 2025. Include one line sharing what motivates you most about this reflection practice.
I’ll select the two most meaningful responses, and we’ll schedule your session for January 2026.
This is your chance to go deeper, ask questions, and create a clear path forward with personalized guidance.
Don’t wait. Apply here before December 20.
This is so good and so helpful, Gusti. We can’t wait to dive deeper into these prompts.