“This is a new year. A new beginning. And things will change.” – Taylor Swift

Wow. What a year 2024 has been! Just like every other year… It's been full of its own ups and downs, highs and lows, blessings and problems. As one year wraps up and another gets ready to start, I love to set aside time and reflect. I look over all that went right and wrong with the past year. I spend time dreaming about next year. It’s a treasured part of my rhythms!

Over the years, I have worked to create a reflection and process that is especially beneficial and thought out. It’s a whole system designed to make sure I think through the important things, and that can be adjusted based on my available time or desires. It’s such a special thing to me that I wanted to share it with you! So let’s get started! 

THE PROCESS

“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

To get started, my best advice is to plan on a whole day to do this process! I like to take turns with my husband. He gets time to reflect and then I do too. This time away helps both of us feel better prepared for the year. The goal is to do some reflection of the past year, overall planning and to create goals, to set up well for the next year. However, this whole thing can be very flexible! Just find a time and space that works best for your life. Once you have time and space decided, make sure that your family and friends know how important this time is for you and put it on your calendar, so you don’t miss it.  

Start the day with some extra self-care! Get a good night’s sleep, maybe take a nice shower, put on comfy and nice clothes, eat some food that leaves you feeling energized. Next you can go to a place you really enjoy! I usually choose one of my favorite coffee shops, then I listen to inspiring and upbeat music while driving. Once you get there, get yourself all set up! This could look like finding a spot that is comfortable and practical. Maybe getting a nice drink or snack. Just help yourself feel ready for this time! Here are all the things that I do for my Yearly Reflection. Choose which ones work best for you and skip the ones that do not. 

1. Start with some journaling. Write out all the thoughts and ideas that are jumbling around. Try writing three pages of stream of consciousness thoughts, similar to morning pages.
2. List out 10 Celebrations from the past year, 10 areas of Gratefulness, and 10 Prayer Requests.
3. Reflect on what worked and what didn’t. Focus on areas of priority in your life. Maybe Work, Life, Family, Friends, Health, Finances, and so on. 
4. Conduct an audit of my calendar. I pull up my calendar and look at how I’ve spent my time over the past year and think through how I would like to spend my time in the next year. 
5. Check progress on goals from last year and make goals for the next. I keep one google doc with all my goals, this helps me access them throughout the year so I can track my progress and update as needed. 
6. Think about and journal through rhythms and habits that have been helpful or that I want to change. I specifically look at morning, evening, and weekly routines. 
7. Next, I actually get out a calendar and start working on the process of planning for the next year. I start by carving out time and energy for myself, family, goals, and reflection. 
8. Plan any travel or events that will happen as much as I know, or that I want to have happen.
9. Update day-to-day calendar. This could be a google or electronic calendar, or a paper one. It just depends on what works best for you! 
10. Plan out big ideas for the year- specifically topics and ideas for content, work and my personal life. 
11. Now do a bit of journaling about how you feel about the next year, and what you most want out of what comes next!
12. Next, I like to let all this reflection settle in my brain! So I read or listen to something encouraging and supportive while going for a walk.
13. To give myself time to rest, recover and enjoy my time. I like to do something creative. This could be anything! Coloring, knitting, doodling, playing piano, painting, or anything that feels restful to you. 
14. End with some actionable steps. Now here is where it’s time to start constructing! I like to give myself solid steps to get started with my goals and hopes for the next year. It might be areas of my home that need to be cleaned or plans that need to be prepped for. It just helps me take all this reflection and planning and actually get started with it!

After all of that, I like to end the day with something fun! Dinner out with my family, hosting my friends for a fun meal, or even going to see a movie. Then I can adjust this yearly review plan for next year. And prep for a fantastic year! 

“A new year. A fresh, clean start! It’s like having a big white sheet of paper to draw on!” – Bill Watterson

END OF THE YEAR SALE

“What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year.” – Vern McLellan

I also wanted to remind you of our End of the Year Sale! It’s a great chance to grab those special things that you have had your eye on.

• If you spend $25 you will get $5 dollars off, if you spend $50 you will get $10 dollars off, and if you spend $75 or more you get $15 dollars off. We hope you will take advantage of this deal to get yourself a gift! It ends tonight! 12/31/24

QUESTIONS FOR NEW YEAR’S REFLECTION

If you want to add to your time of reflection and planning, here are a few questions to journal through! 

1. What would help you make this time of reflection and planning feel extra special? 
2. What have you done in the past for New Year's goals and plans? 
3. How can you see God at work in this season?
4. What are you excited about for next year? 
5. What’s one thing from this blog that you want to use for your own time of reflection and planning? 

Isaiah 43:18-19 - “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.