End-Of-Year Journaling Prompts
2024 has been an intense year and I’m sure that like me, you have much digest. While it can be tempting to sprint towards resolutions, new plans and fresh calendars (new possibilities and new beginnings are always alluring) but I invite you to rewind for a bit instead. To sit quietly and self-reflect so you might move into 2025 with a sense of integration, with more awareness, and maybe, with more compassion for yourself and for others. Sometimes we don’t realize how much we’ve endured or how far we’ve come.
I like to start my end-of-year reflection with December and move through each month until I reach January. By going backwards, I recall and slow down precious moments (what were the most meaningful moments? Often there were the most simple), and might also notice patterns or blind spots that help me move into the New Year with deeper or clearer intentions.
When I shared the following end-of-year prompts with my writing group it was emotional and beautiful. Each month became a poem.
Here the prompts….
DECEMBER - JANUARY:
When December began, I imagined…
Now it feels like…
I hope it will be…
I will forgive myself if…
In November I longed for…
I cried when…
I was grateful for…
In October, I was hungry for…
I daydreamed about…
I felt lost when…
September started with…
I felt such pleasure when…
I was in love with….
August tasted like…
smelled like…
looked like…
sounded like…
In July, I craved…
I received…
I lost…
June was unexpected because…
I grew when…
I laughed when…
May opened with…
Gave me…
Left me with…
April was beautiful because…
I had a hard time with…
I resolved…
March arrived with…
I breathed a sigh of relief when…
I planted and cared for…
In February I let go of…
I loved the moment when…
I was excited about…
January began with…
I wanted to…
I promised myself I would…
I hoped to…
If you’d like to explore the prompts, I encourage you to find a quiet space where you can free-write without interuption. Set a timer for your allotted time (30 minutes or more?) and reflect on your year.
Additional prompts and questions to explore:
Make a list of your most memorable moments of the year (try listing via season or monthly) then choose a few to journal/free-write about.
How are you different from a year ago?
Who or what had the biggest impact on your life? How did you have fun? What brought you pleasure?
What energized you? What drained you?
Is there anything you would like to leave in 2024 and head into 2025 free from?
If you had to give 2024 a title, what would it be?
If the writing prompts resonated, you might also like this reflection on Winter Solstice:
Winter Solstice
The celestial pivot point of solstice is near. For a few days before and after the solstice, the sun appears to pause in the sky, marking the start of a new season. The word solstice comes from Latin sol “sun” and sistere “to stand still.” A poetic moment of transition when those of us in the Northern Hemisphere will experience the darkest day of the year. Afterward, light will return. We know this as the beginning of winter.
I’m doing a look back of 2023 by going through the photos on my phone - your journaling prompts plus photos should make for some great journaling!
ouhh love this idea of combing through the threads of the year month by month. Very thorough and thought provoking indeed. I have never done it in such a way before and am excited to see what comes to the surface through this practice. It is a beautiful way to bring in rich reflections and insights.