The Four Questions I’m Using to Review My Year (and Prepare for 2026)
I’m a big believer in year-end reflection. Not the kind that traps me in the past or sends me spiraling into regret, but the kind that helps me notice what mattered… and what didn’t… so I can carry the right things forward.
Last year, I offered a set of ten questions for year-end reflection, but something different has been nudging me this time around. It’s simpler. More spacious. A way to look back without overthinking and look ahead without forcing anything.
The themes that have been bubbling up for me in the past few weeks are interesting: challenge, delight, priorities, sustaining myself. And since they’ve given me lots to think about, I thought it might be something you’d appreciate too.
All you’ll need is grab a blank sheet of paper or your journal.
Let’s give it a try…
Start at the Top of the Page
Before you jump into lists or goals or grand declarations for 2026, pause for a moment. At the very top of your page, write a few words or phrases that describe your year. Anything at all. Don’t analyze or over-think it. Don’t aim for a “perfect” description — just jot what rises first.
Then Draw Four Quadrants
Divide your page into four squares (leaving just a bit of room at the bottom). Each one offers a different lens on your year, and together they give you a surprisingly clear picture of where you’ve been and where you might be headed.
1. Challenge
What challenged you this year?
What are you learning from it?
What’s next for it — if anything?
Some challenges resolve. Some linger. Some turn out to be teachers we never asked for. Just notice what shows up here.
2. Delight
What delighted you this year?
What made it so? (A need met? A value honored? A strength expressed? A relationship strengthened? A moment of rest or renewal?)
What does that tell you about your desires for 2026?
Delight is often a clue — a quiet one — pointing toward what you want more of.
3. Top Life Priorities
(You might know these as Areas of Focus in the REALIFE Process®.)
What are the 5–7 most important parts of your life? Did they shift this year?
Which area got the most attention?
Which area got the least?
As you consider those areas and next year, what might be next for you?
No judgment here — just noticing. Sometimes the things that matter most drift to the edges without us realizing it.
4. Sustaining Yourself: Rest, Renew, Review
If you want a refresher on how I define rest, renewal, and review, you can find it here.
When it comes to self-care, what was something different you tried this year?
What are you learning?
What might be next?
This quadrant can be surprisingly eye-opening, especially if your year has felt rushed, stretched, or on autopilot.
Now Go Back to the Top
After walking through the quadrants, look again at the words you wrote at the top of your page.
What would you write now?
Has anything shifted? Clarified? Softened?
Sometimes the new words feel deeper. Sometimes they feel kinder.
Either way, you’re ready for the last step.
Turn Your Paper Over: Set Gentle Intentions for 2026
This isn’t the moment for rigid resolutions or pressure-filled plans. Just let your reflection guide three simple prompts:
What needs to be carried forward?
Something meaningful, insightful, or unfinished that matters to your growth.What needs to be released?
A habit, expectation, or story that no longer fits.What’s one small shift that would help you live more aligned in 2026?
Small is the key word. Small is sustainable.
These three questions tend to open space — for clarity, hope, and a sense of direction that feels grounded rather than forced.
A Soft Landing for the Year Ahead
However your year unfolded — beautiful, heavy, surprising, exhausting, or a mix of all four — taking time to reflect is an act of courage. It says, “My life matters enough to notice.”
And if better self-care is part of your intention for 2026, I have a simple resource that might help.
It’s called Self-Care That Sticks: A Simple 4-Step Guide to What You Actually Need, and it’s designed to help you understand your own needs so you can choose self-care practices that truly support you — not just the ones you think you should be doing.
Here’s to clarity, intention, and a year ahead that feels more aligned with what matters most.
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