Goodbye 2025: Reflection Prompts to Close the Year Intentionally

It’s strange how a whole year can feel both painfully long and ridiculously short. 2025 did that to me. Some months dragged like wet clothes on a winter morning, and others just whoosh — gone before I even figured out what was happening.

Anyway, I’ve been trying this thing where I don’t end the year on autopilot. No “new year, new me” nonsense. Just sitting with myself for a bit. Slower. More honest. Maybe you’re in that mood too. So here are a few prompts I used — not fancy stuff, just the kind of questions you’d ask yourself when you’re half-sleepy and staring at your ceiling fan at 1 AM.

1. What surprised me this year?

I don’t know why, but the surprises hit harder when I write them down. 
Good surprises. Annoying surprises. The “oh God why” surprises.
Like—there was this moment in June when I realized I’d changed way more than I’d planned. Not intentionally… just life nudging me around like a confused traffic cop.
Ask yourself: What caught me off guard? 
Sometimes that one question reveals more than all those goal-setting worksheets. 😅

2. What did I hold onto for too long?

This one stings. 
There’s always something — a habit, a fear, a person, a storyline you repeat because it’s familiar even when it exhausts you.
I kept holding onto an idea of how things “should” be instead of how they actually were. And honestly, it kept me stuck.
So write it out. 
Even if it feels uncomfortable. Especially then.

3. Where did I grow without noticing?

Growth doesn’t always look like winning. Sometimes it’s just… not breaking down over the same thing again.
Maybe you handled a conversation better. Maybe you didn’t spiral as fast. Maybe you said “no” without guilt — that’s big.
These tiny shifts matter way more than we give them credit for. 
Feels weird to celebrate quiet growth, but try it. You’ll surprise yourself. 🌱

4. What drained me more than it should have?

You know that feeling when something keeps eating at your energy but you pretend it’s fine? Yeah. That.
For me, it was trying to be available 24/7. Messages. Deadlines. Random expectations. The whole “I’ll manage” persona. Exhausting.
Write down the things that stole your peace. 
Then… maybe don’t bring them into 2026. Sounds simple, right? But we both know it isn’t.

5. What am I quietly proud of?

Not the big stuff you brag about on Instagram. 
The small wins that felt private. Personal. Maybe a little messy.
Like showing up even when you were running on 30% battery. 
Or learning to rest without explaining yourself. 
Or simply surviving a month that felt designed to break you.
Let yourself admit it: I did alright.

6. What am I ready to let go of before stepping into the new year?

Think of it like cleaning your mental room. You don’t have to throw everything out — just the things that feel heavy for no reason.
Old grudges. Old goals that don’t fit anymore. Expectations that exhaust you. 
Sometimes letting go is more important than adding anything new.

7. What do I want to carry with me into 2026?

Every year leaves behind a small pile of lessons, habits, memories, people, and weird little discoveries.
Pick the ones that actually make your life feel lighter. 
Carry those. Leave the rest.
For me? I’m taking curiosity, slower mornings, and the courage to change my mind.
A small note before you close your year
It doesn’t matter if you answer all these prompts perfectly. 
Or if your handwriting is a mess. 
Or if you only manage one question and get distracted halfway.
The point is — you showed up for yourself for a few minutes. 
And honestly, in a world that keeps demanding more and more, that’s enough.

Here’s to closing 2025 with softness and starting 2026 without pretending we have everything figured out. ✨

If you want, I can also write a more emotional or more chaotic version — whatever vibe you want.