Retrospective and Direction Setting

People pursue goals differently -- some achieve them directly, others find a path through striving, and some follow life opportunistically. Regardless of approach, year-end reflection and intentional planning hold real value.

Retrospective / Review

Review calendars, journals, and posts. Key questions include:

• What happened this year? (key activities, connections, courses, projects)
• Am I reaching my potential? How am I? How am I not? (inspired by Aminatou Sow)
• What were the "gravity points" that brought energy, momentum, and meaning? (inspired by Jedidiah Jenkins)
• Year Compass also offers useful prompts

Planning, Goals and Intention Setting

Over-emphasis on goals can mislead -- reaching them sometimes feels hollow. Three pillars balance aspiration with meaning:

Core Desired Feelings (Danielle LaPorte)

Use the 5 Whys to uncover what you truly want to feel -- moving past surface goals like "success" toward specific feelings like presence or playfulness.

Goals

Dream big. Vision boards help. Eckhart Tolle suggests asking: "What does life want from me?"

Systems and Actions

Chris Guillebeau: "We overestimate what we can achieve in a day, and we underestimate what we can achieve in a year." Goals need SMART criteria and concrete systems -- resources include Atomic Habits by James Clear.