The End-of-Year Review That Actually Changes You

Happy Holidays! In our latest Love & Leadership podcast episode, I shared a practice that's been transformational for me over the past 15 years - the personal annual review. Not the corporate kind that might make you cringe, but a thoughtful process of reflection and intention-setting that can genuinely shift your trajectory for the year ahead.

Why This Week Matters

The period between Christmas and New Year's provides a unique opportunity. Work typically slows down, the holiday rush subsides, and we find ourselves in this natural pause. While some people use this time to catch up on Netflix or recover from holiday festivities, I've found it to be the perfect moment for meaningful reflection.

Sometimes I'll even book a hotel room for this process (though your kitchen table works just fine). What matters isn't where you do it, but that you create the space for it.

A Different Kind of Review

Unlike corporate performance reviews that often feel like exercises in bureaucracy, a personal annual review serves a different purpose. It's not about rating yourself on a scale or checking boxes. Instead, it's about understanding patterns, celebrating progress, and setting intentional direction for the year ahead.

Here's the framework I use, refined over years of practice:

Reflecting on 2024

Start with your wins. Before diving into what you want to change, acknowledge what you've already accomplished. What risks paid off? What moments would you relive if you could? This isn't just feel-good fluff - it's about recognizing patterns of success that you can build upon.

Then, look at your challenges. What didn't go as planned? What lessons emerged? The goal isn't to dwell on disappointments but to extract valuable insights that can inform your path forward.

Identifying Patterns

One of the most valuable exercises is mapping your energy patterns. What activities, projects, or interactions consistently energized you this year? What consistently drained you? While we can't eliminate all energy-draining activities from our lives, we can often restructure our approach to them or balance them better with energy-giving activities.

Using the Wheel of Life

Using the "Wheel of Life" coaching tool, assess eight key areas of your life (career, health, relationships, personal growth, etc.). Rather than striving for perfect balance - which is neither realistic nor necessarily desirable - use this visual tool to identify areas that need more attention in the coming year.

Setting Direction for 2025

Instead of jumping straight to specific goals, start with a theme word for the year. This isn't about being cute or trendy - it's about setting an overarching intention that can guide your decisions throughout the year.

Then, imagine your ideal average day toward the end of 2025. Not a perfect day on vacation, but a realistic, satisfying day that you could sustainably live. This vision becomes a compass for your more specific goals.

Making It Work

A few key principles I've learned:

1. Keep it simple. You don't need an elaborate system - you just need to reflect and write.
2. Be honest but kind. This isn't an occasion for harsh self-criticism.
3. Focus on patterns over specifics. Understanding your patterns of success and challenge is more valuable than fixating on individual incidents.
4. Make it measurable. Whether through numbers or feelings, have some way to track progress.
5. Stay flexible. Your goals should guide you, not constrain you.

While I'm not naturally inclined toward handwriting (hello, ADHD!), there's undeniable value in putting pen to paper for this process. It engages different parts of your brain and often reveals insights that might not surface through typing or just thinking.

Closing with Gratitude

End your review by listing ten specific things you're grateful for from the past year. This practical gratitude exercise helps cement your reflections and sets a positive foundation for the year ahead.

This isn't about creating a perfect plan or setting unrealistic expectations. It's about thoughtfully considering where you've been and intentionally choosing where you want to go.

Want to try this process yourself? In the podcast episode, I walk through each step in detail, and we've created a free workbook to guide you through it.?

Wishing you a beautiful holiday season filled with plenty of time with loved ones and for peace, reflection and renewal.