We are officially in December – the final month of 2025. Now is the perfect time to start your year-end review before 2026 sneaks in.
I know the focus is on all things holiday – from sparkling fairy lights to finding the perfect gifts for your loved ones to getting together with old friends. But, during this time of year, I start to get that old familiar nudge – that I should be reviewing my year and planning for the next year.
Looking back, I question if I did anything of value in 2025. If I’m being honest, I could say that I did a little something-something. But, I most certainly did not accomplish everything I set out to.
But, then again, I set some really huge goals for myself.
If this sounds like you, take a breath. You’re in good company.
In this blog post, we’ll walk through how to do a meaningful year-in review so that 2026 is a much more productive year.
So, let’s begin.
Why Reflecting On Your Year Now Will Actually Help You
A year-end review is more than just a look backward. Revisiting goals allows you to figure out what worked and what didn’t.
Perhaps you were too ambitious in your goal setting, perhaps you weren’t ambitious enough. You won’t know unless you do some introspection while reflecting on the year that was.
A thoughtful year-end reflection does many things. It helps you:
- spot patterns
- acknowledge the challenges you faced
- celebrate the wins that you paid zero attention to
- set meaningful, SMART goals for the coming year
Big, Small, Or Microscopic – Celebrate Every Win
Do you know what I’m terrible at? Remembering all the great things that happened in my life. Seriously. I have a tendency to focus on what went wrong. My brain is very dramatic.
But, when I force myself to sit down with pen and notepad in hand, that’s when I realise all of the great things that happened. That little exercise also shows me how to be more grateful.
Just A Few Year-End Wins Examples I Had
In doing my year-end review, I started to remember that I had a number of wins in 2025:
- The blog that you are reading started boasting a much higher readership – certainly the highest than I have ever had in its seven-year life cycle – even I was shocked
- My YouTube channel crossed over the 200K mark and is closing in on 250K (Slow and steady wins the race)
- I hired a website developer and a video editor to make my life easier and free up my time (although I still love to jump in and edit my own videos because, as I’ve told you all before – I am a control freak)
- I hired my very first accountant firm to manage the financial side of my business. It has been a life saver
- On a personal note, I strengthened my friendships with my girlfriends
- I established more boundaries for family members who – in the words of the late Charlie Murphy – were habitual line steppers
- I really leaned into taking care of myself, particularly pampering myself
Top Wins You Might Forget
Your wins don’t have to look like mine. They might be even greater than mine.
You may have wanted to go back to school and it didn’t happen – me, too.
Perhaps you wanted to start a family and it didn’t happen. Me, too.
But, rather than focusing on what didn’t happen, focus on what did happen. What did you accomplish? Did you earn more money this year that moved you into a new tax bracket? Were you promoted on your job?
Did you finish a home renovation or buy a house?
Or perhaps you finally ended a really bad relationship the wasn’t going anywhere. These are all huge wins.
Flops, Fails and Oops – A Year-End Review Will Show You How To Turn Those Duds Into Lessons
Never waste a good lesson. If you’re smart and paying attention, you will avoid the sneaky traps that sunk your 2025 goals.
If your goal was to save money in 2025 and you didn’t, you have to evaluate where you went wrong.
First, did you even have a specific amount you wanted to save or did you just make a pie in the sky declaration that you wanted to save more?
Secondly, were you eating out too much or ordering DoorDash every night? It adds up.
Thirdly, maybe you have a shopping habit and trips to the mall are triggers. In a few weeks, 2025 will be a memory. You have to decide now what you plan to do differently so that you achieve your goal. If not, you will continue to see a repeat of 2025 in 2026, 2027 and beyond until it’s too late.
During Your Year-End Review, Take A Look At What Didn’t Work
Ask yourself five questions:
- Was what happened to you out of your control or within your control?
- What or who drained your energy this year?
- Did you grow this year, or did you regress? Or did you remain stagnant?
- Are you content with your life the way it is?
- Did you come close to achieving your 2025 goals?
Ditch Resolutions, Instead Pick A Few Intentions That Actually Land
Are we still doing resolutions? Now, y’all know damn well that y’all are not going to follow through with resolutions past January 15th.
Do not, I repeat, do not make any goals in 2026 unless you are serious. This is where I give you all the tough love in the world.
You cannot say you want to go back to school and not apply. Furthermore, you cannot say you want to save $30,000 for a house down payment and continue spending like there’s no tomorrow.
Your goals have to align with your discipline. Stop talking to hear your own voice.
If you truly want something, just go for it. Do whatever it takes (within your power to get it). End of story, point blank period. The end.
Don’t overwhelm yourself with 10 goals. Pick no more than three that you really want to focus on and target that.
Your Quick Year-End Review Template
To make your reflection easy (and actionable), use this quick year-end review template – it covers wins, lessons and intentions for the new year.
- Top 5 Wins: (Big or small – list anything that you’re proud of)
- 3 Unexpected Joys: (Moments that really made you happy)
- 3 Things That Didn’t Work: (challenges, setbacks or habits you need to improve)
- Theme of the Year: (One word or phrase that sums up your year)
- Gratitude Notes: (List the people, things or experiences you are most grateful for)
- 3 Guiding Intentions: Small, actionable intentions for a better 2026
Final Thoughts: 2025 Is Not The End, It’s A Chapter
As you prepare to do your year-end review, please remember that 2025 does not signal the end of your life, your goals or your dreams. It is but the closing of a chapter. Some chapters are tougher reads than others.
You have the power to change your life or keep it the same. The choice is yours.
This one is going to be hard, but I am going to challenge you to not compare yourself to your friends, family or your colleagues, and especially not to strangers on the internet who don’t know you exist.
Run your own race in 2026. Be gentle with yourself, but don’t be so gentle that you don’t challenge yourself. Balance is and will always be key.
If you made it to the bottom of this blog post, please share your stories in the comments section. I’d love to hear them. Don’t be shy. This is a safe space.
Always enjoy your blogs. Thank you and all the best in 2026!
Hello Reshanda! Thank you so much; that really means a lot to me. Wishing you the absolute best in 2026 as well! Thanks for reading.
Mi huh a gyal but mi agree wit yuh gyal yuh know !!! Fi yuh tell di truth day !!! Wi haffi give thanks ti di Almighty fi evryting small an’ Big yuh know !!! Fi the problems teach us how strong wi really are and what ti di an huh ti di in every aspect of our Lives !!! Yuh speak bout Balance an’ Discipline !!!! Adversity Build all dat an’ Wisdom yuh know !!!! Jah Bless nuh mon Curse !!! Mi Family from Nassau an’ Jamaica, Bermuda; Puerto Rico, an’ Tings lek dat suh !!! Jah !!!!!
Thank you so very much, Reshanda. All the best to you in 2026 and beyond!