January is the month where we prepare to wipe the slate clean for a fresh start. While we all look forward to that, I always like to go back and reflect on the previous year as well. We can all get caught up in the everyday grind and hustle of life at times leaving us feeling lonely or disconnected from our partners.
To combat that feeling, over the past three years, my husband and I have implemented a “Year End Review,” or at least that’s what we have been calling it.
We schedule an evening in January when we can either get a sitter for the kids or just choose to turn the TV off in the evening and go over our “Year End Review” document. In this document we have a variety of questions in different categories that we answer separately. Then, during our scheduled time, we come together and discuss each one.
We have found that this practice helps us align our goals for the coming year, but also allows us to reflect on everything that we accomplished that year. Below are the categories and questions we have been using, but these are highly customizable and changeable as time goes on and should be different for everyone. At the end, we always come up with a word that we will display in our home where we all can see it daily as a reminder of our priorities and goals for the year. As the year progresses, we check in with one another and update the other on how we feel things are going and if we are staying on track with our goals.
Year End Review of 2021 Resolutions for 2022
Personal Questions:
- What makes you feel most alive?
- What do you want to learn this year?
- What do you want to do more and less of this year?
- What can we put on the calendar? Trips? Date nights? Alone time? Classes?
Faith Questions:
- What disciplines or practices do you want to do this year to grow closer to God and serve others better?
- Do you feel further or more near to God this year in comparison to last year?
Marriage/Parenting Questions:
- What did you learn about me this year?
- How did I make you feel loved?
- How can I improve?
- What everyday tasks make you feel like a priority?
- What do we want to pray for our children and our marriage?
Finances Questions:
- In what areas did we overspend?
- Do we anticipate any big expenses in the new year?
- What are our financial goals for the year and how do we meet them?
Overall Questions:
Best Moments:
Worst Moments:
What should be our word/theme for 2022:
Let me know in the comments if you and your partner do something similar. If this is something you try for the first time this year, let me know what you think! Was it helpful for you and your family?
