5 Questions to Ask Yourself at Year-End [UPDATED FOR 2021]

If you’ve been following our work here at Embrace Change, you know that we have a special kind of respect for this time of year. As we dive into December–at the end of another tumultuous, whirlwind, rollercoaster year–it’s a time when we wholeheartedly urge folks to hit PAUSE and reflect.

I crafted 5 questions to frame this kind of “micro self-retreat” in 2019 – though that feels like an eternity ago.

Given how the ever-evolving landscape, here are the self-reflection questions I’d recommend for 2021:

1. When I think back on this past year, what am I proud of myself for? Did I achieve something I never thought possible? Did I have an infinite number of opportunities to give up–and yet I didn’t? List as many points of pride as you like!

2. What lessons did I learn in 2021? Remember that failure can be the greatest teacher.

3. What surprised me from this past year? One option is to think of examples of self-growth and stepping up to a challenge.

4. What do I want most when I think about 2022? What growth do I want to experience next year? What milestones do I want to reach?

5. What’s one action will I commit to taking in 2022? This can be a one-time action, but you’ll get more brownie points for committing to a new approach, practice, or ritual–whether it’s one that advances your career, takes your community work to the next level, or deepens your relationship with yourself.

What questions will you be asking yourself as we move into another calendar year?