51 Questions To Make Your Year-End Review The Most Insightful Ever
Find the right ones for you, learn from your past, set yourself up for success.
Today, I have a different kind of article for you. Instead of the usual detailed guide, it's a simple list. Simple, but looong. 😉
I wrote it for two reasons. First, I like to constantly run these small experiments. And on that note, let me know what you think of this. Was it helpful?
Second, this is the time of year when we finally may have a couple of hours to reflect on the past 12 months. But reflection is only helpful if you ask the right questions.
The problem is that there are no universal right questions. A question is right only when it makes a lightbulb switch on in YOUR mind. So, I searched, sifted, and segmented dozens of questions to create the list below.
You'll find too many of them, 51. Don't try to answer them all. Spend time on the ones you resonate with most.
Many questions aren’t about the main topic of this publication, content creation— they’re personal. That’s because I strongly believe without a constant work on ourselves, we can’t succeed as creators.
When you're done, you can use what you learned to decide what you need and want to improve next year. Consider the failures, big and small, that stung the most, and imagine what you need to improve.
🎯 Achievements and Successes
What is the one achievement I should remember this year by?
What are my top three achievements?
Did I celebrate my successes and milestones appropriately?
What goals did I achieve this year, and why?
What goals did I surpass, and why?
What was my biggest creative risk, and what did I learn from it?
How did luck play a role in my success?
What opportunities did I seize, and what made that possible?
Which moments brought me the greatest joy?
If I could relive one moment or experience from this year, what would it be and why?
🚧 Challenges and Failures
What was my biggest failure this year, and what did I learn from it?
What challenges did I face, and how did I overcome them?
What unexpected challenges did I encounter, and were they predictable in hindsight?
How did I deal with creative blocks or periods of low inspiration?
What opportunities did I miss, and why?
Which fears never materialized?
How did I respond to negative feedback or criticism?
🧠 Personal Growth and Reflection
What three words best describe this past year, and why?
What important lessons did I learn about myself?
What were the biggest time-wasters this year?
Which tasks consistently put me into a state of flow?
What activities drained my energy the most?
What feedback did I receive this year? Did I agree with it? Was it accurate?
What was the biggest surprise of the year?
If I could go back to the start of the year, what advice would I give myself?
What skills did I realize I was lacking?
What tools or resources improved my productivity?
What new habits did I develop this year?
Which habits was I able to maintain?
Which bad habits was I unable to break?
💡 Content Creation
What content formats or topics did I experiment with, and what were the results?
Did I stay authentic in my content?
How well did I balance content creation with personal well-being?
What feedback did I get from my community, and how did I act on it?
How did I build and nurture my community?
Which content pieces resonated the most with my audience, and why?
What platforms or channels brought the most engagement and growth?
Which initiatives had the best subscriber conversion rates?
Which collaborations or partnerships benefited me the most?
What skills did I develop to improve my craft?
What changes occurred in my niche or industry, and how well did I adapt?
How much time did I spend on administrative tasks, and which ones consumed the most time?
Was I able to earn enough money based on my efforts?
What can I do to improve monetization?
🧑🤝🧑 Relationships and Connections
Which relationships had the most positive impact on me?
Which relationships had the most negative impact on me?
Am I satisfied with the quantity and quality of my relationships?
Who do I wish I had gotten to know better this year?
🔄 Patterns and Reflection
Is there a pattern among the things that went well this year?
Is there a pattern among the things that went poorly?
What expectations about myself, others, or situations turned out to be wrong?
I hope this list was helpful. Please let me know in the comments what you think of it and if you want more articles like this.
Happy reflecting!
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"What was my biggest failure this year, and what did I learn from it?"
These questions on failure got me tongue tied. I will answer this one here. I blew up two of trading accounts last year and another one yesterday. I'm learning that less is better with trading. Looking forward to new opportunities.