“Celebrate endings 
for they precede 
new beginnings.” 
Jonathan Huie

The end of each calendar year offers us a tremendous opportunity to evaluate the previous twelve months. The primary purpose of such an exercise would be to help us make better plans and choices throughout the upcoming year. Taking time to look back at the year that’s ending can be a challenging task, because the mind has a negative bias. It’s easy for us to instantly remember all the things that went wrong for us and all the decisions we made which resulted in negative consequences for us.

It’s important that we not stop there. We must intentionally focus on all the good which has happened in our life, as well. It’s so easy to overlook the positive factors which have contributed to the current year being a good one. 

Here is a brief list of questions you might want to consider as you reflect back on 2025 in preparation for living life to the fullest in 2026:

1. What plans, hopes, or dreams did you have for 2025? How did they go?

2. What new skills did you learn in 2025 and how might they be of value to you in the future?

3. Identify three highlights from 2025. What made these experiences so special?

4. What was your greatest accomplishment in 2025?

5. For whom in 2025 are you most grateful?

6. What is something from 2025 that you would do differently in the future?

7. What is something that went surprisingly well for you in 2025?

8. What was the most significant life lesson you learned in 2025?

9. Who were the most significant people to affect your life in 2025?

10. What would you like to forget about 2025, if anything?

11. Is there anyone you need to forgive as 2025 comes to a close?

12. If you had known that 2025 would be your last complete year on earth, what, if anything, would you have done differently?

I’m always inspired by the words of Anne Frank, who said, “What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven’t happened yet.”