Hands up if you know I am a fan of goals. Of lists and of tracking stuff. I am sure all hands are up in the air, right? It’s just no secret around here. So it comes at no surprise that I also love doing an end of year review. Who wouldn’t I ask.
I enjoy getting cozy, with a cup of tea, a few fun pens and a lot of time. I usually reserve the time between the years – is that a saying in the English language? If not, I am referring to the time between Christmas and New Years. Those days that are filled with possibilities, with magic and where time somehow stands still. I probably have no other time I joyfully anticipate as much.
In preparation of those days I am looking at resources for end of year reviews. I have a favorite one and I have come across other ones I have been using in part or tested out. Today I want to share my love for those end of year workbooks and I hope I can infect you with some love.
Unravel The Year
My all time favorite end of year review. I have been doing it for the past 8+ years.
Everything about this workbook is amazing. Before you scribble down all the great plans for the upcoming year you actually sit back and reflect on the passing one. For me, that is the part, that actually takes up the most time to do. I can not do it in one sitting. I take lots of time and I often still feel rushed. It really makes me think. It makes me evaluate. It makes me aware of certain routines, habits and wishes.
And I love that Susannah is constantly added and changing it up. No workbook is the same. Some exercises are dropped, new ones emerge. In 2021 she actually included a special “Pandemic Reflection”. Isn’t that amazing? And she is offering it all for free.
Once you have that all covered it is your basis for building up the goals, intentions and wishes for the next year.
Creator: Susannah Conway
Where to find it: Download Unravel the year
Imagine the goals and plans I had scribbled here not know what March 2020 would bring…
Find Your Word
Another great resource that goes hand in hand with “Unravel the Year” – not only because Susannah has created it as well – is the five day mini email course to find your Word of the year. Every year on January 1 there is a post here on the blog – actually it was the first post ever in 2013 – that mentions my goals. They are centered around my chosen word. Having set a word of the year has actually changed the way I look at goals and intentions. It makes it so much more approachable. Because “failure” is not possible. You can incorporate your word every day – as I try to do with my word Shape this year. You can have phases where it guides you more. It can simmer in the background and have not that much impact. Whatever it is it still nudges you in the right direction.
Creator: Susannah Conway
Where to find it: Download Find Your Word
Business End of Year reviews
As much as I love the two resources above they do not work for me when it comes to my freelance business. Here I need a bit more hard facts. More details and numbers. I have not found the “perfect” end of year workbook for my business goals and financial goals. There are two resources that come close so I have combined them in recent years and copied together the questions. One is the
byrosanna Goal Planer Workbook
This one I have done for the last 3 years I think. I skip the parts that I have already answered in my personal review. I find however there are some questions in here that are worth pondering over.
However it was not updated but I don’t care about reading 2019 in there. I just cross it off and write the current year instead.
Creator: Rosanna
Where to find it: Download Free Goal Planner – Your Best Year Yet
More Ressources
I came across a few other workbook but I didn’t have time yet to have a closer look. Still I want to share:
- Workbook: Reach your Business Goals – 5 step guide
- Workbook: End of Year Business Review Workbook
- Workbook: Best small business annual review
- Workbook: End of year review for small business
- Workbook: Calm Business Review
- Workbook: Best Year
- Workbook: YearCompass – no email sign-up necessary, just download
- Workbook: Start off on the right foot
- Book: Big Dreams, Daily Joys by Elise Blaha Cripe – loved her podcast, blog and this book is a compilation of all.
- Blogpost: How to choose a word of the year
Do you reflect on your year? Do you use special resources? Do you have a guideline? Any resources you can share?
12 comments
these are great resources, thanks for sharing. It takes me a while to reflect as I need time and space to think through. I’ll use some of these guides to do it in the coming days.
I also need time and usually not get to it before Christmas. I love some quiet hours to sit with myself. Hope you find something useful in them.
Happy holidays
I love the “between the years” idea. I’ve never thought of that space of time in that way, and it’s genius! I haven’t chosen a word of the year in a while. I like your reasons for doing so. These are some great resources, Tobia!
It is actually a common saying in Germany “Zwischen den Jahren” – “between the years”. So people would say what will you be doin g between the years? And everyone would know what you mean.
It is such a magical time. I wish it would be a bit longer to be honest.
I don’t do a lot of reflecting or planning, but I love the week between Christmas and New Years too. It’s still holidays, but the pressure is off. I hope you enjoy your week between the years!
I am enjoying it very much so far. Thank you.
Have ¥ou never done any planning and reflecting or is that a recent devolvement?
I love the term “between the years.” Such a great way to express this weird time!
I used to do a workshop where we would reflect on the year and then make goals for the upcoming one, but I stopped doing it a few years ago. It’s a little expensive for me now. I’m bookmarking this Unravel Your Year workbook, though!
My favorite thing to do is my Best Of blog posts. I do an end-of-year survey, reflect on my year of blogging, recap each month, and sit down to come up with my favorite books of the year. I love it!
I remember the multiple end of year posts from last year and wanted to do a few more. I’ve two already scheduled and two more to write. Maybe there will be more.
I think you will enjoy the unravel workbook if you have done a workshop before. Best it’s an annual free resource and I love that she won’t charge for it.
I’m going to give this a try again this year. I read your post last year and downloaded the workbooks and gave them a quick look with every intention of going back and giving them a more in-depth look and it never happened. After this totally unorganized and hectic year, even though I am no longer working, I feel this might just help me get more things done. At least I am hoping it will. My year last year started out okay and somewhat organized and goal oriented but after about 3 months or so I let everything slip and it is really showing right now. Thank you again for sharing.
I hope you find some time to go through the workbooks and that they give you some clarification. I am just printing mine and have done the first day of the find your word one. I have an inkling where I am heading but it is still a ver good practice to go through the motions.
Here is to 2025 and hoping that it will be a better organized year for you. I am looking forward reading about how you approach it on your blog.
Hi! I have used Year Compass before and it was great! I saved it in Google Keep and been using it almost every New year. Thanks for the other resources. I always, always need to get clarity on the passing year before making intentions for the new one.
Oh thank you for letting me know you enjoyed Year Compass.
It’s definitely helpful to reflect on the past year before making new plans and goals.
Hope your reflection are good.