Rearview and Windshield: A Year-End Practice to Better Navigate the Road Ahead
As 2024 draws to a close, it’s a great opportunity to reflect on what the year brought into our lives and try to better understand how our experiences have shaped us. We can look into the rearview mirror at where we started and see how far we’ve come. And with January approaching, we can begin thinking about things we’d like to do differently in the coming year — new goals, commitments, or places we’d like to take ourselves on the road ahead.
For the past five years, I’ve put these reflections on paper — capturing the important events and learnings of the prior year as well as my intentions for the next. This process has not only been enjoyable and cathartic, but now, looking back, I have a detailed journal of my journey. It has captured many of my most meaningful memories and dreams for each year.
Below are a few questions that can support you in this practice. I think you’ll enjoy answering them.
Part 1: Rearview Mirror
What went well this year? What did you like about it? What were your best memories or experiences? What were some of the things you achieved? When you showed up as the best version of yourself, what did that look like, where were you, what were you doing, and who were you with?
What did not go well in 2024? What was painful about the year? What do you not want to repeat? How do you want to grow from these things in 2025?
Part 2: Windshield
What are the most important things you want to accomplish in this lifetime?
Imagine you had an incredible 2025, and you’re doing this exercise a year from now — what would you want to be true? What will you have done, changed, or achieved? What are your three or four biggest goals for the year ahead?
Which relationships do you want to focus on in 2025? With whom do you want to connect more deeply? How do you want to show up in these relationships? How can you be proactive in making this happen? What relationships do not serve you that you want to wind down?
What are the most important habits for you to continue in 2025? What new habits do you want to start? What habits do you want to stop? What’s important about these habits, and how will they support your goals for 2025?
What ongoing practices can you begin or continue in 2025 to help you stay on track with your intentions for the year? Do you need to recruit a friend to hold you accountable? What resources — coaching, therapy, education, organizations, etc. — might support you? What practices do you want to implement independently, like journaling, meditating, or a gratitude practice?
Intention is a superpower, and it is available to you right now in the form of this reflection practice. Spending even 30-45 minutes on this will not only save you months in the new year, but it will put you on the path of the life you want to have.
You can’t make a dream come true if you don’t have a dream!
A personal note of gratitude:
One of my reflections for 2024 was connecting with those beyond the bounds of my day-to-day life through creating content here and on social media. I am deeply grateful to you for reading, listening, and joining me throughout the year, making that dream come true. Many people have reached out to share how they are making changes in their lives and progress toward their goals after watching a video or reading a blog, and these stories always inspire me immensely. I look forward to continuing to connect with you in 2025!
Have an awesome holiday season and here’s to taking a step closer to your dreams in 2025!
“You can’t make a dream come true if you don’t have a dream!”