63 Thought-provoking Year-end Review Questions To Ask Yourself

A list of year-end review questions to ask yourself that will help you to gain mental clarity and make smart goals for the next year

Time is going faster as we are growing older. With each year passing in a blink of an eye, we could easily lose track of our growth and changes.

That’s why every November or December, I will do a year-end review. It may not be as formal as the one in a professional setting, but specific enough for effective self-reflection.

So here is a list of year-end review self-reflection questions that will guide you through your personal growth, career, finance, and more. Take a piece of paper, write down your answer so you can go back and evaluate each year.

Some questions may take you longer to figure out the answer. And it’s totally ok. It’s the time to explore inward, and no need to rush the process. Now, if you are ready for this year-end self-review, let’s begin.

What is a year-end review?

A year-end review, or an end-of-the-year review, usually takes place in corporates or organizations. It’s usually a performance review process between managers and employers.

In some companies, a year-end review is a one-on-one interview. For others, it can be in the form of a questionnaire or a report.

The year-end review we talk about in this post is no different except that we are doing it with ourselves. It’s a self-reflection process that allows us to learn from our achievements and mistakes.

Throughout the entire review, make sure that you are not judging your answers. The purpose of this self-interview is to evaluate how well you’ve done this year. The more transparent and specific your answers are, the more you will benefit from the process.

Why should you do a year-end review?

Here are some of the benefits of a self year-end review:

Know more about your strength and weakness
Find ways to improve your performance and life
Maintain the balance among different aspects of life
Set better goals for the year to come
Track and celebrate your accomplishments

Year-end review questions to ask yourself

Personal growth self-reflection questions

How would you describe this year with a single word?
Take a look back at the goals you set for this year. How well have you accomplished them?
What is your biggest challenge this year? How do you handle it?
What is a good habit that you build this year? How has it influenced your life?
What is one bad habit you quit this year? How did you quit it, and does it change your life?
Name one thing you are most proud of this year.

What didn’t go as planned this year? Why?
What surprises you the most this year?
Name a book you read that inspires you the most.
What is the most courageous thing you’ve done this year?
Name one change you have made that improves your life.
Have you taken on any new roles? How does it go so far?
If this year is a game, what is your difficulty settings now?

If you can travel back to a year ago, what would you tell yourself?
Describe the best thing that happened to you this year?
In what aspect are you doing better than last year?
What did you excel in this year?
What did you struggle with this year?
How well do you take care of yourself this year?

What is one thing you regret doing this year?
What is one thing you don’t have time to do this year?

Self-reflection questions on career

What is the biggest challenge you face at work this year?
Does your job reflect your core values?
Are you happy with what you have achieved professionally?

Are you using your time wisely? Any room for improvement?
What do you love the most about your job?
What new challenges do you take on this year? How does it go?
Which part of your job bores you?
Which part of your job stresses you the most?
What mistakes have you made this year? What are the lessons learned?
Does your job correspond with your passion?
Where do you see yourself at next year? Will you be doing the same thing or not?

What do you wish you have done this year?

Year-end review questions on finance

How much have you earned and saved this year? Are you meeting your yearly goals?
How much debt do you have at the moment? How much has it changed throughout this year?

What is the most worthy investment of your time/money this year?
What are some poor financial decisions you’ve made this year?
From the score from 1 to 10, how will you rate your personal finance this year?

On what do you plan to spend less next year?
What are your money goals next year? How do you plan to achieve them?

Self-reflection questions on relationships

Who is your closest friend? Anything memorable happened between you this year?
How is your love life this year?
What new lessons have you learned about your relationships this year?

Who provides you with the strongest support this year?
What new understandings do you have towards a friend, a family member, or someone you know?
Have you spotted anyone toxic in your circle? How do you handle it?
Have you reconnected with anyone this year?
How much quality time have you spent with your family?

If you can only contact three people for the next entire year, who will they be, and why?

Spirituality questions to ask yourself at the end of the year

What is your biggest loss this year? How have you been healing?
Describe the best day of the year.
How will you rate your mental health at the moment?
What have you done this year to improve your mental health? (therapy, journaling, support group, etc.)
What is one thing you regret not doing this year? Why haven’t you?

What keeps you awake at night?

What is a tough period for you this year? How did you cope?
Who has inspired you the most this year? Why?
What are you most grateful for this year?

What is the most heart-warming thing you have been told this year?
Pick your color of the year, and why do you choose it?
What is one difficult decision you’ve made this year?

Describe a “moment of awakening” this year.
What are you most excited about for the year to come?

So here is the list of self-reflection questions for your year-end review. I hope by answering these questions, you will have more clarity about your performance this year and set wiser goals next year.