Like I’ve mentioned in another post, reflecting on a past year has never really been my thing. However, I found joy in it, after I thought of these few things to do and maybe some of you will like them too.

Some things to focus on from the past year:

Achievements

A great way for you to remember why you should be proud of yourself, and remember: it doesn‘t just have to be „big“ accomplishments. It can also be that you were finally able to do something you were really scared of, like a job interview or going to the dentist.

Highlights

An oversight over all the great things that have happened and the amazing experiences you‘ve had. A great way to focus on the positive and relive beautiful memories. This also doesn’t just have to be big things, small moments are just as precious.

Gratefulness

Practicing gratefulness is great for your mind and nervous system. It helps you to feel good and to focus on the good things, it brings hopefulness for the future and reduces anxiety. Even if your 2025 wasn‘t the best, I still recommend doing this. Find a couple of small things to write down, it can be as ‚insignificant‘ as being able to afford groceries or waking up in the morning, because if you think about it, those aren’t really that small.

Travels

If you‘ve travelled to some places in the past year, it might be sweet to do something with the pictures you have taken.

—

Some ideas on what to do with them:

Make a list

The simplest way to remember the things above is to just write them down on a piece of paper. You can hang it somewhere and always see what you‘re thankful for or how far you‘ve come in the last year.

Write in a journal

The best thing about journals is, you can continuously add to it. They are perfect for the subjects above. You can keep one where you write what you’re grateful for every night, before bed, or one for good things, which you add to every time something good happens, or one for traveling, where you keep all the pictures and keepsakes from your vacations.

Make a board

We usually only hear about vision boards, but there are other concepts you can use them for. One really sweet idea i had, was an achievement board, where you put pictures of all the things you have accomplished in 2025 (or in your life).

Print your own book

I‘ve seen this especially for travels and I think it‘s such a cute way to hold on to your experiences. There are multiple print shops online that do this, just see what‘s available where you live.

—

I know 2025 wasn’t kind to everyone and if you‘ve been struggling the past year, taking a trip down memory lane is probably not what you want to do right now. Focusing on the future and the coming year(s) might be more suitable. Here are some ideas:

Set goals for the new year

Focus on where you want to go, not where you’ve been. Improving yourself is always a good thing, it will make you feel better and it will also change the circumstances around you.

Create a vision board

A vision board is perfect for holding onto your goals in a fun and inspiring way. Thinking of what you’re going to do with your life, how it’s going to change and being creative with it, might bring you some joy.

Make plans for the new year

Similar to setting goals, but less about improving yourself and reaching something and more about your life. What do you want to do this year? Trying something new? What have you been wanting to do for a while now? What makes you happy? Where do you want to go? A new hobby?

Set boundaries for the new year

Sometimes having a bad time, is due to the people in our lives and what we let them do to us. Something, that is very helpful for getting out of unhappy situations and ensuring the future will be better, is to get clear on what we don’t want in our lives (anymore). Writing them down helps keeping them in mind and working on saying no in the future.

I wish you all a wonderful year, filled with love and joy. May you be successful and you reach all your goals, may each year be better for you than the last!🩵