18 Unique Questions To Help You Set Better Goals This Year
By Hillary Gale
Just jump to the questions, please. :)
The end of the year is one of my favorite times to slow down and take some time for intentional reflection. Last year, I stumbled across some reflection questions posted by one of my business mentors, Sarah Turner. As I started journaling about the questions she posted, I reflected more deeply on the past year than I had originally intended. And I had a lot of fun doing it
Why I Love Intentional Reflection
I think it’s important to say that reflection doesn’t always lead to discovery or insight. More often than not, reflection feels kind of like just going through the motions. But every once in a while, you’ll experience the magical benefits of reflection like I did last week.
You may not discover these benefits if you do it just once or twice. But if you make it a careful and consistent intention, you can experience the true insight reflection offers. This is why I make a practice of formally journaling my reflections at least every quarter.
I try to reflect more frequently (weekly or monthly), but let’s be real. More often than not, reflection is the task that goes by the wayside. Quarterly reflections are a doable commitment to journaling at least a few times a year without letting too much time go by. Quarterly reflections also allow me time to make changes before the year’s end if things aren’t panning out how I want.
Sometimes I know exactly what I want to write about. But other times (like this year), I need a little help. So without further ado, here are 10 questions to reflect on for 2021, plus 8 questions to help you think about what you want to create for yourself and your business in 2022.
Reflections for 2021
I encourage you to set aside at least 30 minutes to answer these questions. Choose your favorite journal, pour a cup of coffee (or wine, or whiskey), and find a comfortable space to sit down and write. I snuggled into my couch in front of the fireplace with a mug of earl grey tea, my pug, and a blanket, so choose a space you won’t be tempted to get up from for a little while. Happy writing!
1. What was an unexpected joy this past year?
I found this question surprisingly easy to answer. Even though there were still long, lonely days working from home and time spent worrying about vulnerable family members who had COVID-19, there were many bright moments this year as well. Have fun sifting through pictures on your phone or simply remembering moments that brought you joy.
2. What was your favorite book you read this year? Why?
I dealt with isolation blues by reading. A lot. (I clocked 47 books in 2021! Didn’t quite reach my goal of 52 - but I still read 5 more books than I did last year.) Yet I also know some avid readers who just… couldn’t. If that was you, I’m not judging. We’re all experiencing the ongoing pandemic in different ways and using completely different coping mechanisms as time goes on.
3. What was your favorite show or movie you watched? Why?
If you didn’t watch a TV show or movie all year well, that’s just weird. Weirdo.
4. What worked out in your favor this year?
This was a big one for me. In my family, I’m notoriously averse to change. I love traditions and I love predictability. But I’m learning that in order to reach my full potential, I have to embrace change wholeheartedly. In October and after much agonizing, I left a teaching job that I loved to pursue running my business full-time. It ended up being one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
So, what ended up working out in your favor this year?
5. How satisfied were you with your work this year? What did you enjoy and not enjoy?
None of these questions should make you feel bad or judged. If you weren’t satisfied with your work this year – for whatever reason – be kind to yourself. You can set intentional goals to have a better 2022 in the next section.
6. What are you proud of this year?
In my opinion, simply making it through the second year of a global pandemic is something to be proud of. We all dealt with unfamiliar changes and had to continue to adjust to whatever “new normal” we now live in. With that in mind, what can you be proud of yourself for?
7. What was the biggest thing you learned about yourself?
Whatever it is you learned about yourself this year. be honest in your reflections. Sometimes we learn things about ourselves that aren’t so pretty.
8. What was your biggest challenge?
This question should be easy to answer. 2021 sure did present an awful lot of challenges.
9. List 3 magical moments that made you feel alive or grateful or joyful.
One of my magical moments was finding out I’m pregnant with our first child (it doesn’t get more magical than that). But another magical moment was simply sitting in the sun on my driveway every afternoon from mid-April to late June while reading a book. I loved watching the seasons change in my neighborhood – something I had never paid conscious attention to before.
10. What will you choose to remember 2021 for?
If your 2021 was colored by tragedy, my heart goes out to you. You may not have a choice in what you choose to remember 2021 for. If that’s the case, just write about whatever’s on your mind.
Intentions for 2022
Reflection is most fulfilling when you use it to look ahead. So after you’ve spent time thinking (and hopefully, writing) about the previous 10 questions, refill your mug or glass and settle in to set some actionable goals and be intentional about how you will approach 2022.
11. What do you want more of in the New Year?
Go crazy. Do you want more money? More freedom? More alone time from the crazy family you’ve been holed up with since we first heard the dreaded phrase “social distancing”? Be honest, no one else is going to read this. ;)
12. How can you be more fully YOU in 2022? And what’s holding you back?
I spent a lot of time thinking about what this question meant to me before I could answer it. Perhaps you’re painfully aware of what’s preventing you from being fully yourself. Or perhaps you need to define what being fully yourself would actually look like. Answer this question in whatever way makes sense to you.
13. What is no longer serving you in your life? And what do you want instead?
If 2021 was yet another year of triaged adaptation, let 2022 be a year of pruning and cultivation. Throw out habits, relationships, internet platforms, and even household clutter that’s no longer serving you in your life. Start fresh.
14. What single thing could you do this coming year to feel more intentional about how you spend your time?
One of my vices is social media. If you know there’s something in your life that’s a time suck, especially if it isn’t bringing you joy, make a plan for how you’ll break that habit. If you’re like me and find yourself mindlessly scrolling on your phone in your free time, I highly recommend reading How To Break Up With Your Phone by Catherine Price.
15. What changes can you make next year to feel more fulfilled with your work?
This question is hard to answer for those of us who already find our work fulfilling. But we should never settle or fall into a rut. What can you do to energize yourself and keep the momentum going?
16. In what areas do you want to grow next year?
I encourage you to think about this question in two different ways. In what ways do you want to grow personally? In what ways do you want to grow professionally? Don’t write about just one.
17. What are your top 3 priorities for 2022?
If one of your priorities is to grow your business or increase your marketing efforts, I can help with this! Outsource all your copywriting needs to a personal finance copywriting agency like Gale Creative. Our team can save you time, headaches, and money with deeply researched, high-quality finance content to boost your inbound marketing efforts.
We specialize in blog posts and website copy, but can also help you carry out your social media and email marketing strategies. Send me an email at hillary@galecreativeagency.com to schedule a free consultation call.
18. Choose a focus word for 2022
This is my favorite question. Each year, instead of setting New Year’s resolutions that I know I won’t keep, I choose a single word to be my focus word for that year. (And yes, if this sounds familiar, I did pirate this from inspirational life, leadership, and success coach Jon Gordon.) In years past, I’ve chosen focus words like relish when I wanted to deeply enjoy simple moments, or develop when I wanted to grow in specific areas.
This year, I’m choosing a word that’s a little different. After journaling about these 18 questions, I realized that a major obstacle holding me back is my fear of change. And I have a lot of changes coming up in 2022 that I want to fully enjoy.
So my focus word in 2022 is embrace.
This year, I’m committing to embracing the many changes that are coming my way - most importantly, the change of becoming a mother.
I would simply love to hear your 2022 focus word, so drop it in the comments or send me a LinkedIn message!
Happy reflection, and Happy New Year.
Just the questions:
Reflections for 2021:
What was an unexpected joy this past year?
What was your favorite book you read this year?
What was your favorite show or movie you watched?
What worked out in your favor this year?
How satisfied were you with your work this year? What did you enjoy and not enjoy?
What are you proud of this year?
What was the biggest thing you learned about yourself?
What was your biggest challenge?
List 3 magical moments that made you feel alive/grateful/joyful.
What will you choose to remember 2021 for?
Intentions for 2022
What do you want more of in the new year?
How can you be more fully YOU in 2022? And what’s holding you back?
What is no longer serving you in your life? And what do you want instead?
What single thing could you do this coming year to feel more intentional about how you spend your time?
What changes could you make next year to feel more fulfilled with your work?
In what areas do you want to grow next year?
What are your top three priorities for 2022?
Choose a focus word for 2022