How to reflect on your year with 3 simple questions

Since I was a kid, I've always been one to document things in my life.

I remember using my dads old camcorder to film simple life moments before the word 'vlog' even existed.

And I've been journaling almost daily for years.

At the end of the year, I go back through those entries.

It’s amazing how many funny stories with my kids I’ve forgotten, how trends emerge around what drains or energizes me, and how it gives me clarity for the year ahead.

But even if journaling isn’t your thing, you can still use a simple framework to reflect and reset.

These 3 questions will help you assess what’s working, what’s not, and what you’d like your life to look like in 2025.

1. What do I want to start doing?

It's best if these aren't BIG things like 'I want to start spending 1 hour a day learning Mandarin.'

They can be simple.

I want to start doing weekly allowance with my 4 year old.

I want to start taking 15 minutes every morning to plan my day.

I want to start going on walks during 1 work meeting per week.

For me, I want to start tracking my food more closely.

One of my goals in 2024 was to maintain a 165 weight. I'm usually around 170-175.

I have a feeling that I eat more calories throughout the day than I realize, so I think tracking them will help me adjust accordingly.

2. What do I want to stop doing?

Stopping doesn't just mean quitting bad habits like smoking—though that’s great too.

It can also mean reevaluating good habits that no longer align with your priorities.

During the covid years, I had a goal to run 100 miles a month.

And I kept it for 2 years.

But as the world was opening back up, I found I was declining invitations to have lunch with friends or passing on opportunities to do stuff with the kids because 'I had to get my miles in.'

So last year, I decided to drop it to 50 miles a month.

Still keeps me accountable to run, but not at the cost of relationships.

3. What do I want to keep doing?

Don't neglect the things that you're doing well that would continue to serve you!

If you've got a exercise routine that's working, just keep doing it.

If your system for keeping track of your weekly tasks has been working, don't mess with it.

If you and your partner have a good rhythm of going on a monthly date night, keep that up.

Not everything needs to be 'leveled up.'

For me, I spend at least 3 mornings a week reading the Bible and praying. I'll continue to do that as it's a continual reminder not to put my identity in my work, but in God.

Areas of life to consider

These are the different areas of life I like to reflect on.

You can just pick the ones that are more relevant to you.

Family
Marriage
Faith & church
Health
Friends & networking
Work
Side-hustle / personal brand
Self development

How to make these happen

Theres a few things you can do.

For each thing you wrote, write down where, when, and how it will happen. The more specific you can be, the more likely it'll happen.
Add recurring items to your calendar and / or task manager.
Talk to your partner or a close friend about these to create further accountability.

You don’t need to overhaul your entire life to make next year great.

Start small.

Reflect with intention.

Focus on what matters most.

Take 30-minute this next week to reflect on these questions and map out your next steps.

What I'm watching: ChatGPT updates video

This is a video by one of my favorite AI YouTubers.

The makers of ChatGPT are running a '12 Days of OpenAI' series, revealing a new feature each day.

This video recaps the ones they've released so far.

I've timestamped to an interesting feature I'm interested in trying out - voice chatting w/ ChatGPT while working on any app on your computer.

With a quick-key, ChatGPT can view your screen and respond to questions.

Much smoother than just copying and pasting screenshots as you use it as brainstorm partner - I could have used this feature last week when I was working on my 2025 marketing strategy for work!