End of Year Reflection Questions for 2023 and 2024
These end of year reflection questions will help you to be ready for the next year. The end of the year is a time of excitement and reflection.
We’re eager to start a new chapter and make a fresh start. We’re also reflecting on the past 12 months and reflecting on what went well and what didn’t.
Reflection questions are good for contemplating what you can do better. Once it’s figured out what needs to be improved, it’s easier to set new year’s resolutions and goals to achieve for the next year.
Here’s one of the most important end of year reflection questions to get started.
Was 2023 a good or bad year?
A basic question that we can all ask is, “Was 2023 mostly a good year or a bad year?” People will usually think of one or two major life events that determined how the year went. If you had a good year, it’s likely one of these things probably happened for you:
- Started a new career
- Got married
- Bought a new house
- Started a family
- Gained financial freedom
There are probably other things that may have made someone’s year good, but this probably covers most of you reading this. If your year wasn’t as good, it’s likely one of these things happened:
- Lost your job
- Got a divorce
- Lost a loved one
- Dealt with a serious illness
- Lost most of your finances
These and other factors are probably the reason some of you may feel your year was difficult. Whether your time was good or bad, there are lessons that can be learned from your mistakes.
Unexpected moments in life happen, but our mind has the power to interpret those moments in a way that either helps or hurts us. You can choose to view what happened in the past year as an opportunity to learn and develop, or something that prevents you from moving forward.
Through learning the lessons and changing accordingly, we have a chance of making 2024 a successful year. Here are some more questions to consider before the end of 2023.
End of Year Reflection Questions
What moments were good this past year?
Write down the moments that were good for you. Go into detail about why those moments made you feel good.
What moments were bad this past year?
Write down the moments that were bad for you. Discuss why those moments made you feel bad.
What things did you do right?
As bad as things might have happen, there are probably at least one or two things you did right. Write about what those things were and how proud of yourself you are.
What mistakes did you make?
Discuss the things that you did wrong. Think about how or why you ended up making those mistakes.
What challenges did I overcome and what did I learn?
Consider the hurdles you faced and how you managed to overcome them. Reflect on the lessons learned from these challenges.
How did you grow as a person?
Compared to the previous year, discuss how you improved your character and personality traits. You can use the examples of growth as inspiration to keep doing what you can to grow.
How would you have done things differently?
Think of other choices and decisions you could have made. Write down different actions you could have taken that would have made the past year better.
What are you grateful for?
Reflect on the things that you’re thankful for. You can think about the good things that still remained the same which you’re appreciative of.
What can you learn more about to make yourself better?
There are always things we can learn to improve our life. We could learn new ways to cope with stress or manage our finances. Write down some ideas, strategies, or techniques you can learn more about to make your year better.
What am I most proud of this year?
Identify achievements or moments of personal growth that filled you with pride.
What are the goals and resolutions you made last year and did you achieve them?
Review the goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the year and evaluate your progress and achievements.
What are your goals and resolutions you plan to achieve next year?
Discuss what your goals and resolutions are for the new year. Don’t be afraid to think big and not settle for less.
What are some actions you can do to improve next year?
Write down different actions you plan to do to make 2024 a good year. Go into detail about all the steps you can take to achieve your goals and resolutions.
Why yearly self reflection questions are important
Reflection is a key tool of personal development that can help you achieve more of what you want. Consider the following studies:
- University of Zurich researchers concluded that reflecting on how you’ve overcome past challenges helps you to better process negative experiences. People have the ability to use these moments as a source of creativity and motivation.
- The Association for Psychological Science found that when people reflect on time and who they are, it made them less likely to cheat or be dishonest. People feel more encouraged to act in ways they are proud of.
- A Rice University study concluded that reflecting on one’s personal belongings reduced the desire to impulsively buy a new product. Participants of the study who reflected on a possession they recently used had less of an urge to shop.
As you can see from these studies, reflection can have a lot of benefits for you. Here are some questions that can help you reflect on the past year and plan for 2023.
Final thoughts on 2023
In this year, we saw people doing their best to return to life as they remember it. You may have managed to accomplish that in some ways, but fail in others. But you’ve made it through and you can keep pushing towards living the life that you desire in January.
Feel free to share the things that you’re reflecting on as the year ends. Be inspired to take what you learned from 2023 to make 2024 one of your best years yet.