In this post, discover 25 empowering New Year reflection questions to help you reflect on the past year and set goals and intentions for the year to come.

New Year’s Resolutions

“I don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions. They never work. Haven’t you heard that most people quit their resolutions by the end of January?”

Have you ever heard anyone say these words? Or maybe you’ve said them yourself. To be honest, I’m sure a version of my younger self once echoed these familiar words that I’d heard countless times before.

Now though, I’m not such a big fan of them.

Sure, maybe many people do quit their resolutions early on in the year.

But you?

You’re not everyone.

And what other people do with their own resolutions has absolutely nothing to do with you.

And furthermore – sometimes, letting go of a resolution you made weeks or months ago doesn’t automatically equal failure.

For instance, you might realize that your chosen resolution doesn’t actually support your highest good. This happened to me a couple years ago, when I decided for my resolution that I was going to run my second full marathon. At the time, it seemed like a worthwhile goal for the year ahead.

But as I started making training plans, I started to feel like my heart wasn’t truly in it.

I realized that the time I’d have to dedicate to running would take away from hiking, cycling, yoga, and the other physical activities I enjoyed. I had only set this resolution because it felt like something I should do.

But it didn’t actually align with what was in my heart.

So I let go of that resolution and instead chose the path that felt right to me at the time.

And I have zero regrets about that decision.

Another argument people often have against New Year’s resolutions is that we should be able to make resolutions any time of the year. And I one hundred percent agree with this statement.

But why can’t we do both?

I think it’s fair to let yourself make and change your resolutions throughout the year while also embracing the new year as a time for new beginnings.

Finally, it’s important to define what a New Year’s resolution really is. It doesn’t always have to be a quantifiable goal.

Here are some New Year’s resolutions that you can’t quantify, but they all support your overall well-being:

• To make more time for self-care
• To be more compassionate with yourself
• To make space for fun and play
• To embrace your limitless creativity
• To spend more time with the people you love
• To open yourself up to opportunities for more self-love.

So as you think about how you want to step into the new year, know that you don’t have to make some really big proclamation about all the monumental life changes you’re going to make. Sometimes, simply stating that you’re going to make more time for self-care or for creative activities is more than enough to support you on your life journey.

Below, you’ll find 25 new year reflection questions that will help you approach the new year with a vision for who you want to be and what you want to accomplish. The first ten questions are focused on reflecting on this past year, and the rest of the questions are all about setting goals and intentions for this upcoming year.

And remember, while this post is geared toward the new year, I’d definitely encourage you to come back to these questions as often as you want throughout the year to see how your answers change. (And know that if your resolutions do change, that’s okay – as long as they feel true and right to you.)

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New Year Reflection Questions

• How have I grown in the past year? What led me to experiencing this type of growth?
• What positive changes have occurred in my life in the past year that I’m most grateful for?
• What are some obstacles and challenges I’ve experienced in the past year that I now feel grateful for, even if it was hard to appreciate at the time?
• What are some hardships I’ve experienced in the past year, and in what ways have these hardships helped me to grow?
• What risks have I taken that I’m glad I took?
• What beliefs do I hold now that I didn’t hold a year ago? 
• What was one of my absolute favorite moments from this past year? What did I love most about this moment? (You can list multiple moments if you’d like.)
• What are 10 things about this past year that I feel truly grateful for?
• How would I describe myself right now? What do I love most about the person I am?
• How will I remember this past year? What lessons will I carry with me as I move forward in my journey?
• What would I do in this next year if I knew I could not fail?
• What’s still worth doing, even if I might fail?
• What limiting beliefs or fears are holding me back from pursuing my dreams? How can I release these beliefs and/or fears?
• What guiding principles, truths, and values will guide my journey over the next year?
• How can I cultivate more gratitude and appreciation in my daily life?
• What does self-care mean to me? What are some of my favorite self-care activities? How can I incorporate more self-care into my life over the next year?
• How can I make space for more fun, play, imagination, and creativity over the next year?
• When do I feel happiest? What brings me true joy? How can I allow more joy into my daily experience?
• What’s one thing I can do in five minutes a day to support my body, mind, and spirit?
• What does my ideal morning routine look like, and how can I build a morning routine that will set myself up for success?
• How can I be kinder and more compassionate to myself over the next year? When my inner bully comes out, what can I do to show myself more kindness and love?
• What do I need more of in my life? How can I make space for more of this in the next year?
• What do I need to release in my life? How can I let go of these things/experiences/people/beliefs to make space for something new?
• What’s something I’ve always dreamed of doing but haven’t done yet? Can I make this dream come true this year?
• What’s on my lifelong bucket list? Which of these things could I do or accomplish over the next year?

How are you reflecting on this past year and preparing to embrace the new year ahead? Share your favorite tips and practices in the comment box below.

And for more resources on spirituality, meditation, manifestation, and all things self-love, be sure to connect with me on Instagram and Pinterest, where I’m posting positive affirmations and empowering messages daily.

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Zanna Keithley

Zanna Keithley is an author, poet, and social media content creator who writes short prose dedicated to inspiring readers to follow their dreams, trust their intuition, and create beautiful and fulfilling lives. You can find her original writing on Instagram @zannakeithley.

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