Has 2024 flown by, or did it feel like it stretched on forever? Regardless of how the year has unfolded, now is the perfect time to conduct your year-end review. It’s the opportunity to reflect on the past 12 months and set yourself up for a successful 2025 by planning for the new year.
Why invest time in this year-end review, especially when things may already feel busy?
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If you’re looking to live with more purpose and want to make 2025 your best year yet, dedicating time to a year-end review is invaluable. By reviewing your past year, you’ll be able to assess your progress and set clear, actionable goals for goal setting in the new year
6 Steps to conduct your own year-end review and plan for the new year
1. Set yourself up for reviewing and dreaming.
Gather the items you’ll need for your year-end review. These may include:
- Your LH Planner and calendar
- Your journal or a place to take notes
- Your vision board, if you have one
- Your goals
Next, create a space where you can focus inwards and dream about your new year goals. You might want to:
- Wear something that feels luxurious and comfortable
- Light a candle, play some soothing music, and add a favourite scent to your diffuser
- Do a short meditation to get present and open
- Set an intention for the review: this is about how you want the experience to feel and the outcome you’re after. For example: “I will approach this year-end review with compassion, feeling clear and inspired to take action for my goal setting in 2025” or “I will focus on the positive lessons from 2024 and create a new year plan to move forward with purpose in the new year.”
2. Reflect on your 2024.
This exercise isn’t about punishing yourself for unmet goals or how long it took to achieve them. Life happens!
Instead, take the time to check in, learn, grow, and give yourself permission to change things where needed in your year-end review.
Start by going through each month in your planner or calendar. Note the highlights and challenges for each one.
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Then, revisit the goals you set for 2024. With your highlights, challenges, and goals in mind, ask yourself:
- Which goals have I made progress with?
- Which goals haven’t progressed as I hoped?
- What challenges did I face, and how did I handle them?
- What am I proud of accomplishing?
- Has anything changed for me significantly — priorities, focus, opportunities?
To make this step even more impactful, use our year-end reflection pages, specially designed to help you look back on what did and didn’t work. These free downloadable sheets will guide you through reflecting on your year and setting yourself up for an even more successful 2025. Download them here.
3. Read your personal values, life vision, and definition of success.
Reflect on who you are, where you’re heading, and what matters most to you. Revisit your strengths, skills, and passions.
These elements are the foundation that can guide your decisions and help you navigate the world with more clarity. Keep these in mind as you redefine your goals and actions for 2025 planning.
If you’re unsure of these aspects in your life, we may have something in the works for you! Be sure you’re on our newsletter list to hear about an upcoming course that will help you clarify your values, dreams, and goal setting for the new year.
4. Redefine your goals.
Now it’s time to reassess your goals for the new year.
- Which goals are still exciting and relevant to you? Recommit to these.
- Which goals still hold value, but need adjustments? Redefine them.
- Have you uncovered new goals for the new year? Create them.
- Which goals are you ready to release or postpone because they no longer serve you? Let them go.
If you’re not sure what your goals are, check out this article and these goal-setting templates.
5. Refine or create your plan for 2025.
Action is where the magic happens. A goal without action is just a dream.
If a goal still excites you but progress has been difficult, keep that goal in mind and adjust your strategy or approach. Brainstorm new steps, milestones, or methods for achieving each goal.
Then, schedule these steps in your planner or calendar as part of your goal setting for the new year.
6. Show up, review, and celebrate!
Show up for the actions you’ve planned and follow through with them. Remember the reasons behind your goals to keep you motivated and fuelled for success in the new year.
Review your goals regularly throughout 2025 to ensure you’re staying on track and recalibrate as needed.
Finally, celebrate your milestones and achievements — this step is crucial for maintaining momentum and building confidence for the year ahead. Don’t skip it!
Arienne Gorlach is a life coach with a background in marketing, administration, and running her own planner and coaching business. She helped create and deliver the financial literacy campaign 10thousandgirl, is LH Agenda’s Community Coach, and loves all things related to planners, life design, goal setting, productivity, time management, and intentional living.
