5 Questions to Help You Reflect on 2020 and Prepare for 2021

It has been a year unlike any other — and you may just want to forget this year as a whole — but it is still important to take some time to reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly that was 2020. Reflecting on the past 365 days will help you see all you have accomplished, as well as help set you up for what you would like to change in the new year. Use these five questions below to help you reflect on where you have been in 2020, as well as plan for where you are going in 2021:

1. Where did you succeed in 2020?

Start by looking at the good that came out of this year. In a year filled with so much bad news and uncertainty, it is important to pat yourself on the back for everything you accomplished. No matter how small that win may feel, you still did that and you deserve to feel good about it.

2. What is your biggest failure of 2020?

Looking back on where you failed, or did not meet your expectations, throughout the year can be tough — but it is absolutely necessary in bettering yourself and setting yourself up for a success in the new year. You do not have to get super deep and down on yourself, but it is important to know where you fell short and how you can do better next time.

3. What is the most important lesson you learned in 2020?

Every new day presents a chance to learn something new, whether it is about yourself or those around you — and 2020 sure was filled with opportunities to learn and grow. Take a moment to think about some life lessons you learned throughout the year and how you can carry those through to 2021 and throughout the rest of your life.

4. What is one thing you wish could have gone differently in 2020?

Besides wishing the whole year had gone differently, what is one thing that you did (or that happened to you) that you wish went a different route? Is there something else you could have done to change the outcome? And if so, how will you be more prepared if the opportunity presents itself again?

5. What advice would you give yourself going into 2021?

After reflecting on your accomplishments, failures, lessons learned, and shortcomings of 2020, it is time to look to the future. Take time to think of the year as a whole — what you would like to continue doing in the new year and what changes you would make to make 2021 the best year yet. Set goals and resolutions based off your year-end reflection and you will be set to a successful new year.

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Cheers to happiness and success in 2021!