Whether you’re celebrating a year of big wins or feeling like 2024 didn’t quite hit the mark, there’s one simple thing you can do to set yourself up for success in 2025: practice intentional reflection.
Here’s the exercise I do every year, and I promise it’s easier—and more satisfying—than you might think.
1. Grab your calendar, whether it’s digital or a good old-fashioned paper version, and start with January.
2. Work through the year, one month at a time, and look at how and where you spent your time. Think about the key areas of your life—work, family, health, hobbies, faith, community—whatever matters most to you.
3. Jot down the highlights, the lowlights, and the moments that made you pause. Don’t overthink it, don’t try to make it pretty, and definitely don’t aim for perfection. This exercise is like a meditation for your memory—messy, surprising, and incredibly rewarding.
“We do not learn from experience… we learn from reflecting on experience.” — John Dewey
As you relive the year, you’ll smile at forgotten victories, cry happy tears, then sad tears, laugh at unexpected moments, and maybe cry again. Reflection isn’t about judging yourself; it’s about seeing yourself. For me, this annual process always brings clarity. I realize that I accomplished more than I remember, spent more quality time with loved ones than I give myself credit for, and learned to appreciate the smaller, quieter moments that might have slipped by unnoticed.
Sure, there are always things I wish I’d done differently—missed health goals, a project that didn’t go to plan—but reflection gives me perspective and helps me recalibrate for what comes next.
That’s the magic of this practice. It’s not about setting arbitrary resolutions you’ll abandon by the end of January. It’s about learning from the year you’ve lived and using those insights to make the next one even better. When you set resolutions after a time of intentional reflection, they become more meaningful, authentic, and achievable. Or forget resolutions altogether—what if your only goal for 2025 was to make regular reflection a habit?
Think of it as a weekly check-in with yourself that can do more for your progress than any list you make on January 1 ever could. Ask yourself simple questions: Did I spend my time on what matters most? Am I moving in the right direction? What can I adjust? Small reflections lead to big shifts.
But let’s be honest—reflection isn’t always easy. Life keeps us busy. Work, family, hobbies, Netflix binges—you name it. Sometimes, slowing down to really think about your life can feel overwhelming. But here’s the truth: if we don’t stop to reflect, we can’t know where we’re going. Most of us are running, running, running without ever asking why or where. Reflection gives us the pause we need to decide, with intention, where we want to head next.
For me, 2024 was about focus. I poured my energy into growing my business and am proud of what the Outside Insights community has become. Launching tools like The Culture of One Journal and the Life Plan Review felt like milestones worth celebrating—tangible steps toward helping others close the gap between where they are and where they want to be. But even now, as I reflect, I can see what I want to build on in 2025 and what I need to leave behind. That’s the beauty of this practice—it helps us celebrate progress and identify opportunity.
Your turn.
This holiday season, I’m calling on you to take some time—an hour, an afternoon, whatever you can spare—and reflect on your 2024. Find a quiet space where you won’t be interrupted. Open your calendar, let your mind wander, and give yourself permission to feel whatever comes up. The joy, the frustration, the gratitude—it’s all worth sitting with.
Ask yourself: Did you like what you wrote down? Are you proud of how you spent your time? What would you do differently? The answers will guide you into 2025 with more clarity and purpose than any rushed resolution ever could.
So this year, slow down. Take stock of where you’ve been, recalibrate where you’re headed, and decide what really matters. Let 2025 be the year of intention, progress, and purpose. Here’s to making it your most fulfilling year yet.
Cheers, friends.
Chris
If you enjoyed this article, I recommend reading these past Outside Insights posts:
More Than Words – How Your Values Keep Life in Check
Your Culture of One: A Guide to Living With Intention
Are you Contributing or Coasting in Your Career
This Outside Insights blog is brought to you by my Life Plan Review. If you’re looking for the life you want, have a goal or two to achieve, and are looking for accountability in a community click here for more information.
Want to receive Outside Insights in your inbox?
Listen to the Outside Insights Podcast
Placers ‘Acts of Kindness’ Promise To Job Seekers and Businesses
Placers provides career coaches, job agents, resume writing, and interview preparation services for job seekers. We are a coach to the workforce.
We offer a range of employment opportunities, including professional roles, temporary positions, temp-to-hire options, direct-hire openings, and contract work, catering to all experience levels and current employment challenges.
Placers is also a consultant to businesses. Companies that would benefit from a revitalized 90-day plan should contact us.
For 51 years, Placers has been an industry leader in staffing. Leadership is about service, and our focus is to serve. This commitment to service sets us apart and is our promise.
Take advantage of these complimentary offerings. Click here and complete the quick form.
Leave a Reply